WIT NEWS ITEM | 2007 Toronto International Improv Festival Report

Caveat in Toronto. Just like the name says. See more pics from the trip here.

CAVEAT IN TORONTO

POSTED 9.13.07

In case you didn't know, Canada is very cool. Just ask the members of Caveat, who recently returned from WIT's first foray outside of the United States: the Toronto International Improv Festival.

More than 35 ensembles from across North America gathered for the festival and Caveat did WIT proud on the Alumnae Theater main stage. Besides pockets of Canadian currency that will likely find its way into your change drawer, the members of Caveat also brought back memories worth a million loonies*.

Festivals are the set up for the quintessential roadtrip and this long haul was a blast. "There's nothing better than being stuck in a car for 12 hours with improvisers," said Caveat player Dan MacAvoy. "The combination of boredom and sugar made this journey some of the best road-tripping I've done."

During the final kilometers* of the drive, a spectacular sun rise behind the skyline of Toronto was nearly overshadowed by a discussion of whether Red Bull or being in Canada makes colors brighter. "It was beautiful," according Caveat's director Natasha Rothwell, in reference to the debate.


The Global Backpackers Village proved once and for all that colors in Canada are just plain brighter. Justin, Cissy, Dan Mac, and Joe in our 6-person hostel room at Global Backpackers Villiage, pre-I-call-top-bunk argument.


After sleeping off the all-nighter, Caveat hit the town for sightseeing.


See all those sights?


It wouldn't be an improv festival without checking out tons of shows, so that was the first order of business on Friday evening. "Jill Bernard did a one-woman musical show that knocked my socks off," said one-man showman himself, Justin Purvis. "It was amazing."

Just as sure as there are shows at a festival, so is there beer. Dan MacAvoy's favorite Toronto memory? "After the Friday shows, we gathered with all of the other troupes at a local watering hole. Joe stood up to deliver a toast, and afterward the crowd cheered with approval, quickly transitioning into an unplanned rendition of 'Oh, Canada.'"

It quickly became clear that no one in Caveat knew the words.


Oh Canada?


Saturday. Show Day. Everyone prepared in their own way.

For some, it was the International Hockey Hall of Fame. For others, it was indulging in the food, sights and sounds of Toronto. Cissy Fenwick recounted, "It even smelled like Canada."

Speaking of Cissy, she was the woman of the hour as the Toronto show was to be her last with Caveat before leaving for Los Angeles. She had the honor to introduce the show and get the suggestion. The rest is history.


Cissy opens the show.



The "guy with the glasses" and a duologue with Justin and Joe



Armwrestling with Joe, Cissy just could not lose that night.


Just as it was looking like there was nothing to do but return to the oppressive heat and day jobs that awaited in Washington, DC, the weekend offered up one last glimmer of fun for Caveat.

"We realized on Saturday night that none of us had seen Niagara Falls before," said Dan Hodapp. "It was worth the stop if nothing else for the photo-op with a Mountie."

And photos they took:


A sad-but-true life dream fulfilled. The newest member of Caveat.


So yeah, Toronto was cool. Friendly people, great audiences, and talent came by the boatload to the festival and Caveat was pleased to be a part of it. And some food for thought: once you factor in the conversion rate, it was just that much better.

*All measurements converted to US