Toronto
CityCompanies
Festivals
Notable Figures
Historical Moments
The Second City Opens Its First Permanent Canadian Company in Toronto
The Second City opens its first permanent Canadian location in Toronto, Ontario, establishing what becomes one of the most successful and talent-rich improv training programs in the world. The Toronto company develops its own distinct voice within the Second City tradition, producing alumni who define Canadian and American comedy for decades. The opening marks the beginning of The Second City's expansion beyond its Chicago origins.
The Second City Toronto Opens
Bernard Sahlins and Joyce Sloane opened The Second City Toronto in 1973, extending the Chicago company's franchise to Canada for the first time. Opened in 1973, rescued and rebuilt by producer Andrew Alexander from 1974, and the birthplace of SCTV, the company launched the careers of Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Mike Myers,.
Andrew Alexander Revives Second City Toronto
Andrew Alexander acquired the rights to operate The Second City in Canada for $1 in early 1974, borrowed $7,000, and reopened the company at the Old Firehall at 110 Lombard Street, beginning the era that produced SCTV and launched dozens of major comedy careers.
SCTV Premieres from Second City Toronto
Andrew Alexander and Len Stuart launched SCTV in 1976 as the first production of The Second City Entertainment Company, drawing its cast largely from the Toronto stage. The groundbreaking sketch series ran until 1984. Opened in 1973, rescued and rebuilt by producer Andrew Alexander from 1974, and the birthplace of SCTV, the company launched the careers of Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Mike Myers,.
Theatresports Toronto Founded at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto
Theatresports Toronto was founded in 1982, presenting weekly improvisational comedy at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. The company established a regular short-form performance presence in the city and grew over two decades into what would eventually become Bad Dog Theatre Company.
John Candy, Second City Toronto Alumnus and SCTV Star, Dies in Mexico
John Candy died on March 4, 1994 in Durango, Mexico at the age of 43. Candy trained and performed at The Second City Toronto before becoming a cast member of SCTV from 1976 to 1984, where he created beloved characters including Johnny LaRue and Yosh Shmenge. He became one of the most popular comedy film actors of the 1980s.
Kevin Patrick Robbins Founds the Impatients in Toronto
In June 2001, Kevin Patrick Robbins founded The Impatients, a longform improv ensemble of twelve performers, in Toronto. The company introduced the Harold to Toronto audiences through its weekly show The Impatients: Uncaged and launched the Toronto version of the Cage Match that October.
Impatient Theatre Co. Produces the Inaugural Toronto International Improv Festival
In 2001, Impatient Productions produced the first Toronto Improv Festival, establishing what would become an annual gathering that brought guest performers from television and film to the city's long-form improv community. The festival continued every August for the duration of the company's operation and was one of the few recurring international improv festivals in Canada.
Theatresports Toronto Rebrands as Bad Dog Theatre Company in Toronto
On May 1, 2003, Theatresports Toronto was renamed Bad Dog Theatre Company under co-artistic directors Kerry Griffin and Marcel St. Pierre, with Ralph MacLeod as workshop director. The rebrand coincided with the opening of Bad Dog Theatre Company's first dedicated space at 138 Danforth Avenue in Toronto.
The Impatients rebrands as the Impatient Theatre Co.
In June 2003, after the original ensemble dissolved due to artistic differences, the company was rebranded as the Impatient Theatre Co. and launched a formal six-level training curriculum in longform improv and the Harold. Several founding members continued with the company, including Sean Tabares, Ted Hallett, and Rebecca Dreiling.
Jackrabbit Slim becomes the Impatient Theatre Co.'s first Harold team
In June 2005, students from the Impatient Theatre Co.'s inaugural class cohort formed Jackrabbit Slim, the company's first Harold team. The team had learned and performed the Harold format without having seen a live professional performance of the form, marking the success of the Impatient Theatre Co.'s approach to curriculum-based Harold training in Toronto.
Impatient Theatre Co. opens its first dedicated training centre
On November 1, 2005, the Impatient Theatre Co. opened its first dedicated training centre at Wellington Street West and Spadina Avenue in Toronto. The studio established the Impatient Theatre Co. as a fixed institution in the city's improv community and initiated a period of rapid enrolment growth that led the company to relocate to a larger space at Queen Street West and Roncesvalles within two years.
Big City Improv Festival Founded in Toronto
Adrianne Gagnon founded the Big City Improv Festival in Toronto in 2011, creating Canada's largest annual improv gathering and a multi-venue showcase for national and international companies. The festival grew to attract performers and troupes from across North America and beyond, becoming a key fixture on the Canadian improv calendar.
Impatient Theatre Co. closes in July 2013
The Impatient Theatre Co. closed in July 2013 after a twelve-year run under Kevin Patrick Robbins. The closure marked the end of one of Toronto's most visible long-form institutions, ended the company's role as Toronto's primary Harold-based training centre, and forced the cancellation of the planned 2013 Toronto International Improv Festival.
Social Capital Theatre Founded in Toronto
Ralph MacLeod, Carmine Lucarelli, and Kerri Griffin founded Social Capital Theatre at 154 Danforth Avenue in Toronto around 2014, creating a multi-form independent performing arts venue above the Black Swan Tavern. The venue hosts up to six shows per night across improv, sketch, stand-up, independent theatre, storytelling, burlesque, and music, alongside an improv school and weekly drop-in classes.
Haroldfest Launches in Toronto
Martha Stortz founded Haroldfest, Toronto's long-form improv festival, in 2016, preceding the opening of The Assembly Theatre's physical home and signaling the collective's mission to establish a dedicated long-form improv space in the city. Described as Toronto's only dedicated long-form improv company, The Assembly hosts 14 or more resident long-form teams and produces Haroldfest, Toronto's annual long-form improv festival.
The Assembly Theatre Opens at 1479 Queen Street West
Geoffrey Cork, Martha Stortz, and Spencer Thompson opened The Assembly Theatre at 1479 Queen Street West, Toronto in September 2017 in partnership with Leroy Street Theatre, establishing Toronto's dedicated long-form improv home. Described as Toronto's only dedicated long-form improv company, The Assembly hosts 14 or more resident long-form teams and produces Haroldfest, Toronto's annual long-form improv festival.
Second City Toronto Opens at One York Street
The Second City Toronto opened its current home at One York Street in November 2022, its third major venue after the Old Firehall and the 1997 theatre district location. Opened in 1973, rescued and rebuilt by producer Andrew Alexander from 1974, and the birthplace of SCTV, the company launched the careers of Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Mike Myers,.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Toronto. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/canada/ontario/toronto
The Improv Archive. "Toronto." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/canada/ontario/toronto.
The Improv Archive. "Toronto." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/canada/ontario/toronto. Accessed September 29, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.