Edmonton
CityCompanies
Festivals
Historical Moments
Theatresports Comes to Edmonton via Theatre Network
Theatre Network Artistic Director Stephen Heatley invited Keith Johnstone to Edmonton in 1981, making Theatre Network the third company in the world to regularly produce Theatresports and beginning the Edmonton improv tradition that would become Rapid Fire Theatre. Based at Zeidler Hall in the Citadel Theatre complex, Rapid Fire presents weekly Theatresports and long-form Chimprov performances and produces Improvaganza, an annual international improv festival held each June.
Rapid Fire Theatre Formed as Independent Company
In 1988 the Edmonton improv performers who had been working under Theatre Network formed Rapid Fire Theatre as their own independent company, with Jack Smith as first Artistic Director. Based at Zeidler Hall in the Citadel Theatre complex, Rapid Fire presents weekly Theatresports and long-form Chimprov performances and produces Improvaganza, an annual international improv festival held each June.
Die-Nasty Founded in Edmonton
Dana Andersen, Mark Meer, David Belke, and other founding members launched Die-Nasty in Edmonton in 1991, presenting a live improvised soap opera format that evolved from an earlier show called Soap on the Rocks. Since 1993 the company has performed weekly at the Varscona Theatre in Edmonton's Old Strathcona neighbourhood, accumulating hundreds of episodes and winning the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Improv Troupe in 2006.
Die-Nasty Reaches 500th Episode
On February 12, 2007, the Government of Alberta recognized Die-Nasty as the company performed its 500th episode, marking one of the longest-running improvised serial works in North American comedy. Since 1993 the company has performed weekly at the Varscona Theatre in Edmonton's Old Strathcona neighbourhood, accumulating hundreds of episodes and winning the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Improv Troupe in 2006.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Edmonton. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/canada/alberta/edmonton
The Improv Archive. "Edmonton." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/canada/alberta/edmonton.
The Improv Archive. "Edmonton." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/canada/alberta/edmonton. Accessed September 28, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.