Facts, tidbits and marginalia about your favourite comedy company.
The ITC is Toronto's leader of longform improvisation, in performance, coaching and training. No other company in the city, or country, devotes as many resources to the continuous development, exploration and presentation of the art and craft of longform improvisation.
Our roster of visiting instructors features some of the most well-respected instructors and performers of improv comedy in the world. People like Charna Halpern (co-creator of the Harold), Armando Diaz (co-founder of NYC's Magnet Theater), SNL staff writer Pat O'Brien, former SNL staff writer Rich Talarico, author and screenwriter Jeff Griggs, and other amazing folks like Zach Ward, David Razowsky, Jill Bernard, and BASSPROV's Mark Sutton and Joe Bill. These are the best instructors in the world. Period.
Since 2002, we have produced the Toronto Improv Festival, now in its eighth year. The festival has featured writers and performers from Saturday Night Live (Jason Sudeikis, Rich Talarico), 30 Rock (John Lutz), Cloverfield (TJ Miller) and many more films and TV shows. This year's festival takes place Sept. 21–27.
Our artistic director, Kevin Patrick Robbins, is an internationally respected teacher and frequent instructor at improv festivals throughout North America. He is a regular master class instructor at the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival, one of the largest improv festivals in the world, and has also taught at the Chicago Improv Festival, the most respected improv festival in the world.
Yep, we've been around since 2001, influencing the way Toronto performs improv. While longform improvisation was being performed in Toronto before we came around, we were the first company to focus on it exclusively and to build a training program around The Harold, an improv form.
His highly effective teaching style comes from his incredibly diverse training. He has studied with masters of the craft from all across North America: Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles including such luminaries as Alan Arkin and Micheal Gellman (Second City), Mick Napier and Joe Bill (Annoyance Theatre), Bob Dassie, Craig Cackowski and Noah Gregoropolis (i.O. Theatre). He puts this style to use onstage, in class and as a director/coach.
Amalgamating his various training experiences and lessons into a style that is rooted in character, relationship, truthfulness and authenticity, Kevin has developed a training program that encourages the empowerment of improvisers within the context of group improvisation.
Kevin has taught, coached and directed many of Toronto's top improvisers and comedians including Big In Japan and performers on Mantown, PROJECTproject, The Sketchersons, the Second City Touring Company, the Second City main stage, and as a private improv coach for the winner of Second City's Next Comedy Legend.