CRUMBS heats things up

CRUMBS heats things up... Well, maybe that is just wishful thinking on my part.
CRUMBS makes their home base in Winnipeg and Winnipeg is been hit by the "winter stick". This should come to no surprise by anyone living in Winnipeg, but for some reason people here are always a little surprised. Maybe surprised isn't the right word, perhaps shocked is a better word. The snow falls, the cold drifts in, the roads are slippery and everyone decides to somehow forget how to drive. Everyone somehow complains about the winter when it hits even though they chose to live here. Its like complaining about the mosquitoes in the summer, or complaining about the Jets leaving. Let me also add that winter did not rear its ugly head (and it is one mighty ugly head) until the middle of November (NOVEMBER!) yes it did rear its ugly head and shake a whole hell of a lot of dandruff (to be read as snow) but it did come late.
My Winnipeg (film by Guy Maddin)
Ditching your car (and why you always have a shovel in your trunk)

Alright, enough of that yearly head shake of disbelief at my fellow citizens.

Winnipeg not only got slapped with winter (I thought I said enough of that...?) they also lost a member of the comedy community. We lost Susan Nisbet, a self professed "sit down stand up comic". She was and is an inspiration and her humour lives on. Why I just saw a live stand-up show just this week where several of her jokes slayed the audience. Even in death... she can kill.


CRUMBS returns this week to the King's Head Pub for some Hot Hot Comedy. We will be doing some shows and we will be turning comedy into pure heat for your entertainment.

CRUMBS at the King's Head on Nov 30th
With special guests Sarah Constible and Tricia Cooper and Alix Sobler

CRUMBS at the King's Head on Dec 7th


CRUMBS March 12th 8pm
at the Gas Station Arts Centre Theatre for the
"Berlin or Bust XI"
This show is the annual fundraiser for the CRUMBS European tour that happens. This will be the 11th one, which means that CRUMBS has been touring Europe for over a decade... time flies when you are touring Europe. It was the spring of 2001 that CRUMBS first were invited to perform at the inaugural Berlin International Improv Festival. They went over to the old country to do some shows and "find themselves". They have been back to tour there every year since.

So, let's see you at the shows folks, because we know its going to be cold, we know the roads are going to be icy and we are used to it. We kick winter in the ass.

And life returns to normal

So the past little while has been quite busy in the land of CRUMBS. What with returning from New Zealand and then doing some time on a movie set and then launching right into the Winnipeg if... Improv Festival. It is going to be nice to really just focus on the regular shows and workshops that we do.
-Yes we still do a weekly radio show on 101.5 UMFM on Mondays at 5pm. You can download the podcasts here.

-Yes we teach improv workshops at Prairie Theatre Exchange and in most High Schools (the cool ones anyways).

-Yes we do our regular shows at the King's Head Pub as part of the Free Laughs Comedy Series every Tuesday night (1st and 3rd Tuesdays are the CRUMBS nights)

-Yes we are starting to do the private Christmas party shows for all the businesses that are smart enough to book us while we still have time.

-Yes we are putting together some special shows at the Gas Station Theatre (which is inside the Gas Station Arts Centre now called the G-Sac!) in February and March 2011!

-Yes we are going to be producing the Big Stupid Improv show and CRUMBS at the 2011 Fringe Festival this July.

-Yes we are going to be touring Europe again this spring.

-Yes it looks like we are just as busy as we have ever been... who needs sleep right?

Improv Festival is here!

So I have been a busy guy lately. I have not only been organizing the busiest and best week of improv that Winnipeg ever sees (The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival 2010), I also got cast in a real live movie. The movie is called Goon and is directed by Michael Dowse (who also directed Fubar and Fubar 2). It is a hockey movie set to be the next Slapshot. Very fun to work on. I got the part of 'Back-up Goalie' which is really because I am really good at looking bored on the bench and chewing bubble gum (which is almost all I did). When I was on set I really had to channel the spirit of Habs great Ken Dryden (who was famous for looking bored even while on the ice).



So I spent a week on the set of a real movie with real film crews and real famous actors... But the whole time I kept thinking about the very real Winnipeg if... Improv Festival that was set to happen and that I was putting together. All the good things have to happen all at once I guess. "When it rains, it pours", well, I guess I am happy and thankful that I got wet with all of this.

Now everyone reading this should go to the Gas Station Theatre and see all the lovely shows and all the lovely players that are in town for this lovely festival.

Amy Shostak from Edmonton's Rapid Fire Theatre
Kayla Lorette from Toronto's Ghost Jail Theatre and YTV's That's So Weird!
Jayden Pfeiffer from Regina's General Fools
Fraz Wiest from Regina/Toronto/Winnipeg/Your Heart
Christian Capazolli from New York City's 4Track
George Basil from New York City's 4Track (but he lives in LA... whoa, sooo cool)


These special guest will be joined by the talented locals we brew right here in Winnipeg. Members of CRUMBS, Outside Joke, The D&D Improv Show as well as stand-up comics and sketch artists from this city as well.

What's that? You also heard that we will have the musical styles of Dj Hunnicutt and Mama Cuttsworth? Well, you heard correctly.

This week of improv is so wonderful, I don't think I will sleep until after it is done.