Chances are if you’ve performed comedy in Toronto, you’re likely one degree of separation from this episode’s guest; Gary
Rideout Jr., owner of Toronto’s famous Comedy Bar & Director of Business Development at The Second City in Toronto. This episode dives into Gary’s timeline as a budding comedian-turned-business owner and tracks the many successes he’s had along the way, the struggles that come with taking risks and putting yourself out there, as well as some truly great lessons learned along the way.
With the recent tease on social media announcing the opening of a second Comedy Bar location, on the Danforth, we’re thrilled to get to chat with Gary about his journey in Toronto comedy and his excitement for all that’s to come.
This is an episode for comedians and for fans of comedy. You’ll see what it takes to create a space for an entire community of comedy artists; how to foster that community and the heights where it can lead.
In this episode, Nick and Brie celebrate the end of the school year with improviser, producer, and Kindergarten teacher Kirk McCullough. Kirk came into the Toronto improv community as one of the most organized show producers on the scene. One half of the improv duo Cadley Brooper, Kirk produces Duo Derby, one of the only live shows to seemingly seamlessly transition to an ideal online improv experience. Having studied at The Second City and now a member of the Assembly, Kirk is bringing positive, supportive and joyful vibes to the community, both online and off.
When it comes to splitting focus between teaching kids and improvising with grown-ups, balance is required, and we learn some of the challenges Kirk has faced along the way when it comes to making sure he’s putting his energy in the right places.
Teacher by day, performer by night. This episode answers the ultimate question: “HOW DOES SHE DO IT?”
Key Creative Tips:
Live / Online Comedy Show Producing, Improv, Teaching, Teaching Online, Finding Balance, Going with the Flow, LGBTQ Pride.
Nick’s Update: No writing. Spending time with Kids.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted on this thing, and what’s the point of having a blog if not to post? I guess I’ve been feeling the need to post something profound or meaningful like other bloggers I follow who put a bunch of preparation and research into their pieces. But that was never the point of Clown College Confessions.
CCC exists so that years down the line I can remind myself of what was going on throughout the stages of my journey in comedy from clown college onward. And, if it can help / entertain others along the way, bonus round! Let’s take a look at what’s new then, shall we?
Fringe
I’m so stoked to be in a Fringe show this year. Last year I stage managed a really awesome show, but I learned that working the tech could never satiate the desire to be on stage. So, the opportunity to perform this year is a huge #blessing for me. I’m playing a Mom/Teacher (totally my wheelhouse) in a Kids Fringe show called “Boy vs. Fly.” If you have kids, nieces, nephews or you just like cute shows, you should totally check it out.
In the Soil
St. Catharines, or the Niagara Region, I should say, doesn’t have a Fringe festival per se. They do have something called In the Soil, which is organized by the Suitcase in Point theatre company. A huge endeavour to showcase visual and performing artists of the Niagara Region.
I was very happy when I found out Improv Niagara was accepted to In the Soil this year. The point of the festival this year (or maybe every year?) is to present something brand new that audiences have never seen a particular company present. For IN, who regularly perform a short form competition show, we were happy to try something new to us. Narrative longform improv. *insert dramatic sting.
We rehearsed a BUNCH. IN is the first team I’ve really coached/directed, so it was friggin’ incredible to see a few things:
The progress from the first time we tried to run a long form and were like “wait, how do we include all these extra bits if we’ve never just done narrative before?!” Rewind, let’s start from the beginning.
The progress from the first time we got to like, 20 minutes and thought that was a victory, knowing eventually the show we were going to put on would be closer to 50 mins.
Seeing the group come together, learn each other’s and their own individual strengths and weaknesses working them over and over again in rehearsal as we improvised a number of different books from sci-fi to Harlequin romance. Not to mention the discovering the complications of time-travel.
The audience’s delighted response when we finally got to put Off the Shelf on its feet. Knowing the hard work paid off and that people were following along with our story as it built up to a ridiculous blaze of gun-shot sound effects (as these things do.) Ugh, what a fun and special and proud and awesome feeling.
Oh hey, I don’t thing I posted at all about opening a studio space, but we did that too. (Improv Niagara, that is.) Lots of stuff keeps happening, and for some reason I don’t think it’s worthy to blog about. But it is. It’s awesome. And I’ll try to keep it up.
Recycling Matters
Oh yeah, ALSO… the Niagara Region released some of the short videos we created a while back. Check out the first one, and then just keep watching them all and learn to recycle properly, k?
The Improv Niagara crew are about recycling!
What are you working on that’s awesome these days?
If I’m going to make writing regularly a goal for 2019, which I am, I should kick it off right with an epically long Year in Review post. I wrote one in 2016 and 2017. I might as well keep the tradition alive.
Before kicking off here, it might be important to note that my lighthouse word for 2018 was “PREPARE” – it helped me in my ongoing battle against procrastination and helped keep me more organized with repetitive events that require a set amount of planning each time (ie: producing comedy shows.)
Also to note, all year I kept worrying 2018 couldn’t possibly live up to its predecessor. I went back to Europe in 2017 for the Vimy Centennial, and figured nothing could possibly compare to my time in England and France. Well, it wasn’t Europe, but it turns out I was able to fill the time.
So here is a list of what I consider to be accomplishments in 2018, in a somewhat chronological order, but not quite:
I finished filming my first web-series pilot.
I finished the first draft of my original sitcom pilot.
I started running regular improv drop-in workshops in Niagara.
I continued to produce Guess Who’s Coming to Improv? a show that has, for the past 4 years, continued to bring together performers outside the classroom and away from their troupes to help us connect and grow, and to allow us the opportunity to play with our heroes.
I continued to produce POPAGANDA to give students of the Second City Training Centre an opportunity to see their teachers do what they do best, without even having to leave the building.
My sketch troupe The Utilidors performed in our 2nd Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival and our show sold out the small theatre space.
I got to play in 3 rounds of the Worlds Biggest Improv Tournament with my good friend Ashley Seaman as Jessica Fletcher’s Unexpected Arousal.
I took a road trip to Chicago with my best buddy Dina Senior to see the feminist comedy sensation She the People (before I knew they were bringing it to Toronto.)
BFFs by the Bean
I submitted a comedy writing packet to a TV show.
Niagara Improv became Improv Niagara. We filled out our ranks and and launched our first regular show; the competitive Improv Fallout. It now runs monthly on Friday nights downtown St. Catharines.
Myself and the Fantastic Funny Femmes ran two Improv & Mental Health workshops for women in Toronto and Niagara, respectively.
I officially resigned from my administrative job.
I filmed a series of public health videos for the Niagara Region with Improv Niagara.
I was physically in the same room as Rick Moranis.
Improv Niagara were featured in a video with the Mayor of Niagara Falls, inviting Ellen Degeneres to visit the city.
I was accepted into the Harold Studio program at Bad Dog.
I performed at the Del Close Marathon for its last ever year in NYC with Linda and Mark from Chakra Khan.
In NYC at the Del Close Marathon
… where I also witnessed the UCB4.
The famous UCB 4
I signed with an agent and through her, booked actual paid work.
I got new headshots taken.
I had the pleasure of emceeing Jess & Illy’s wedding.
I had the pleasure of working as a stage manager for the wildly successful, hilarious and award-winning Fringe production Generally Hospital.
I had a great run with my Assembly longform improv troupe Marlon Rando.
The Utilidors performed at the NYC Sketchfest; our 2nd international performance.
I performed in the Big City Improv Festival again this year, with 3 wonderful projects, including Improv Niagara, which also performed in the River Arts Festival in Dunnville, ON.
My softball team won the Toronto Comedy Softball League championship!
Life-wise, (not work-wise) I welcomed a niece to the family. I did very little to accomplish this goal except sit in a waiting room and get yelled at by nurses and prior to that throw a pretty nifty Baby Shower.
Looking forward to 2019 with as fresh a face as this little cutie pie’s.
My lighthouse word for 2017 was wake. The idea was that I wanted to stop feeling like life was passing me by; like I was sleeping or dazing through things for which I should really feel present. Except for this past week where I literally slept through Christmas because I was recovering from a bad bout of bronchitis, I think I did my lighthouse word justice.
This year was crazy. At times it felt like absolutely nothing was happening, and other times, so much was going on my head was spinning. A lot of change, a lot of taking a few steps back in order to move forward. But nevertheless, here she is; the list of the things I consider to be accomplishments in 2017:
I maintained my first ever bullet journal in an effort to help keep me on track.
I performed stand-up comedy at Yuk Yuk’s downtown Toronto.
I recorded 13 new episodes of The Constant Struggle podcast with my brother Nick. We branched out a bit and started talking to visual artists as well as performing artists.
I continued to produce and host Guess Who’s Coming to Improv? for another successful year, a show that brings improvisers together outside the classroom and allows us to play with some of our improv heroes.
I went on an audition for a commercial sans representation.
I was asked to host improv shows by other troupes and performers.
I was asked to be featured on not one, but two podcasts (that weren’t my own.)
I continued to produce and perform my show What If? Improvising Your Alternate Universe, which traveled beyond Toronto this year to places like: New York City, Ottawa, Thorold, Niagara Falls & St. Catharines.
I continued to produced and perform in the super fun POPAGANDA at The Second City’s John Candy Box Theatre with my fantastic host Antonis Varkaris.
I wrote a column that was published in the Ottawa Citizen about disability and public transit.
I filmed and starred in a funny sketch comedy video with my sketch partner from The Utilidors, Dave Lahti and our newfound production crew Steve Mavilla and Matt Lazzarini.
I produced and performed in a series of improv shows in the Niagara Region and founded Niagara Improv with my longtime best buddy Dina Senior. (We even made the front cover because of it!)
I performed in my first ever Second City BizCo production, which took me to Vancouver, BC. First time I’d ever been there too!
I traveled to England and France.
I performed improv in London, England in a super fun jam at The Nursery Theatre.
I returned to Vimy Ridge after 9 years to attend and volunteer at the centennial celebration of the victory at Vimy. I was reunited with friends Scott and Sydnie, who were the most wonderful companions with whom to share the experience. (While I was there I got to meet Paul Gross and chat with Peter Mansbridge. Not to mention got a few sightings of PM JT and HRHs the Princes Charles, William and Harry!)
I got to eat at my favourite restaurant in the world, the Carpe Diem in the city of Arras, where I lived for several months back in 2007-2008.
I co-organized a Women’s Mental Health workshop using comedy and mindfulness to benefit women in the comedy community, and women-identifying people in general with my fierce and compassionate friends Alicia, Candace and Janet.
I continued to perform with my improv Chakra Khan, which had attempted to be dismantled by two different organizations. And still, we prevailed and now run a monthly variety show at Comedy Bar.
I produced and performed in the improv portion of Toronto’s SheDot Festival. And my face was on the poster!
I played softball for another season with Team Jokebox in Toronto Comedy Softball League
I submitted a pitch to Just for Laughs with my writing buddy Chris Hedrick.
My husband and I were approved for a mortgage.
I performed in the Del Close Marathon in New York City for the first time ever; and due to unforeseen travel circumstances, had to drive there with my buddies Coko, Daphney and Candace. This turned out to be the most wonderful adventure.
I got a car. My little red Ford Briesta!
I went on sabbatical from administrative job to pursue comedy exclusively for a year.
I was lucky enough to see Tom Petty perform live in Ottawa before he passed away.
I was selected to perform with a super fun new improv troupe Leopard Cohen as part of the newly formed improv collective; The Assembly.
I Won my first ever Beerprov and finally got to drink out of the mug of champions. (Side note, still don’t like beer all that much.)
I bought a house and moved in back to the Niagara Region and began my new role as a commuting comedian.
I performed in a fun historical comedy play for the Bloorcourt Festival.
I completed a Voice Over workshop & created my voice demo reel.
I travelled to Chicago, Il to attend the first ever Yes and Mental Health conference with my friends Alicia and Candace. We enjoyed pizza and live comedy while we were there.
I travelled to Upstate New York with my parents to take in some colourful sights.
I started coaching an improv troupe in Niagara.
I organized a surprise party for my Mom’s birthday and caught her completely off guard.
I caught bronchitis. And though that seems like kindof a crappy way to end the year, it forced me to rest up, it allowed me to catch up on all kinds of awesome TV shows and movies I’d missed and it really refreshed me and got me ready for what’s to come in 2018.
Thanks to everyone who helped me stay awake this year and embrace the good.
Tonight I had a really bad cold (still do, actually) and still, I kept my friend-date, and my class to teach, then gunned it across town to do a show with a new crew, the realized I left my phone at a convenience store and managed to get it back without issue and/or theft.
It’s late on a Monday night – or early, Tuesday morning I guess. If I had to work tomorrow morning, I would be freaking out because I’m not tired at the moment, which means I wouldn’t get the necessary amount of sleep required for me to not be a zombie in the morning and for the rest of the day.
I slept a bunch this morning and took another nap this afternoon to get over this summer cold I’m not entirely convinced wasn’t passed onto my by an actual doctor.
This happens to me every time I allow my body to rest. My mom says the same thing used to happen to her when she was teaching. The first chance the body has to rest, the immune system shuts down and I’m down for the count for a good couple days. Save a few obligatory shows where I wreck my voice shrieking like a scared child.
But I won’t be calling in sick tomorrow because I can sleep in.
If I had a full-time job where they would just let me sleep in until whenever I wanted and say, start work at 11am and work the full day from then, I would be such a great and punctual little employee.
Brie Watson 
