WATCHDOG: Bad Dog unites community through art of improv

The neighbourhoods that make up of East York, the Danforth and Riverdale are more than just a collection of bedroom communities.

They are an excellent place to develop your creative side thanks to some wonderful artistic resources in our midst.

We have an excellent community of artists, writers, musicians and actors living and working in our neighbourhoods, plus an audience who appreciates what they create.

There is one place that stands out as a welcoming centre for creative people, and that is the improv actor's group Bad Dog Theatre Company, located at 138 Danforth Ave.

Bad Dog Theatre is a not-for-profit, charitable organization whose mandate is to perform and develop improvisational comedy for the benefit of the community.

The theatre itself seats 60 people and there are two studios that offer training in the "improv" method of acting.

Improv actors work together to create spontaneous performances; often working from audience suggestions or a basic framework of ideas.

Not only does Bad Dog provide regular performances, it is a place where people can go to learn the improv techniques.

This training is open to everyone and is designed to be fun and has real application to many life experiences outside of the theatre.

Learning how to think on your feet in front of people in order to make them laugh is a great way to overcome the awkwardness many people feel when talking to the public.

Improv does this by helping you speaking more comfortably as it teaches you to think on your feet.

Every Saturday night at 7 p.m. there is a free workshop to introduce people to improv acting and if you enjoyed that, there is a full curriculum of classes you can take.

These classes take you from the foundations of improvisation, through intermediate and advanced, as well as master and writing classes.

There is also a Youth Improv series for aspiring actors aged eight to 17, where you learn how to tell stories, create characters and gain confidence.

There will be a Youth Improv Extravaganza and Family Open house on Saturday, March 6, where you can see the youth program at work.

The public is invited to this free session in order to better understand how the youth program works and see some up and coming performers showcase their talent.

If you want to see how adult improvised theatre is performed, check out a new improv soap opera called Hot Teachers in Love.

Each week through March, the cast will offer a completely improvised show in the vein of that classic TV soap opera Dallas, with each week's story new and different.

Tickets are only $10 and you can reserve them by calling 416-491-3115 or online at www.baddogtheatre.com

Remember, this is a non-profit theater that is actively reaching out to the communities that surround them, looking to both entertain and inspire the people who live there.