Arriving at the show with the marquee lit up and a gaggle of excited audience members gathered around the front door- the line-up wasn’t due to social distancing, but rather just regular old space issues- it was hard not to feel the excitement in the air. When bringing us to our seats the waitress asked us to “laugh as loud as you can” and I can definitely say that we were ready for that assignment!

There were colourful dresses, quaffed hair and fitted shirts that suggested that people might be sick of wearing old sweatpants and not brushing their hair due to being sequestered away for so long. It might have been a Wednesday night, but people were ready to have fun.

The show started with a musical number that talked about our dire need to laugh due to…well you know- everything in society going to sh*t. Their mission- to make us laugh, and unlike the namesake movie, this mission was totally possible.

And let me just say- they were successful at their mission. The ensemble was made up of six actors who ran through the sketches with precision, going from longer running sketches (a few minutes) to short snippets that ran no more than a minute. Nothing seemed out of place, the actors morphed from one character to another seamlessly and literally, everything made me laugh.

The sketches ranged in topic, from the purely absurd (the melting of wax figures at a wax museum that is on fire) to a political rap that takes from the past (the creation of residential schools) to the present (the declaration of the Emergency Act). And my personal favourite is a three-part sketch depicting the very real struggle of trying to take off a sports bra after a workout.

Each actor is brilliant and brings their own style and talents to the show. Whether it be the singing talents of PHATT al, or the full immersion of Hannah Spear into each character, this group of actors is not to be missed. Andy(Hull) and Andy(Assaf) were great at carrying on the Second City tradition of improv always going with the suggestions, even if it required doing push-ups on stage.

Jillian Welsh had a beautifully poignant moment with a song about a women’s right to choose what happens to her body and Nkasi Ogbonnah opened the second half of the show with a rundown of the most Boinkable astronauts(who knew??)

The show really is what we all need right now, so if you are looking for a fun night full of laughter, go see Mission Totally Possible– because they are right- the mission is totally possible!

Second City’s Mission Totally Possible is playing at Comedy Bar Danforth at 2800 Danforth Ave. They are on stage Tuesday-Thursday at 8 pm; Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm and 10 pm; and Sundays at 7 pm. Tickets are $30 and are available by phone at 416-551-6450 or at secondcity.com.

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This fearlessly funny troupe takes direct aim not just at men with mansplaining, labelling women and telling us what’s appropriate (we should smile more? F off)…but, they also remind us women that we are also deserving of a jab or two. Hello, goop Lab suckers, judgemental and one-up mommies, shapewear and supportive girlfriends! High five! The writers of the show have also given us all a reality check on what’s important and we really “oughta know” including climate change, gender wage gaps and how we should question gender expectations and stereotyping starting from the moment we give birth, if not before.

While there were many great highlights in the show – Ann Pornel hits high marks with her bold views on body image and Karen Parker delivers a roaring great sketch on how women should act – but we really looked forward to the improv set encouraging audience members to throw questions at the actors in a “podcast” scene. We also enjoyed the pokes at Torontonians – very relatable, is that good or bad? Never mind, it’s all in good humour.

The amazing and talented cast with Tricia Black, Ashley Comeau, Paloma Nuñez, Karen Parker, Ann Pornel and Kirsten Rasmussen are unstoppable. With writers Carisa Barreca and Carly Heffernan, they created a great excuse to grab our girlfriends, our mimosas, and get out of the house on a winter’s night…and for the few brave guys in the audience, we applaud you for being open-minded and thank you for not being a clown.

She The People is now on stage at the CAA Theatre in Toronto until February 9th. For more information visit www.mirvish.com

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Mariah’s desire to create grew and she started her own Toronto based, production company at the age of 21, and produced her first feature film that same year, MFA which premiered at SXSW and stars Francesca Eastwood. Since then she has gone on to produce award-winning and conversation starter films such as Plagued and Daddy’s Playground, digital content and commercials, festivals and events, music videos for Canadian stars like Common Deer and Jeremie Albino, the awards show for Buffer Festival and more. It’s hard to keep up!

She is also the executive producer of TO Webfest which has provided volunteer opportunities for many local students. She continues to amaze those around her and leaves us wondering what she will do next!

Mariah continues to inspire others through her strong belief of inclusion, kindness, and hard work. We are very proud of her. She is a great friend, always the first to help and can make anybody laugh.

-written by her mom Suzie

What ‘hood are you in?

I’m in King West! A creative and effervescent community that inspires me every day! I started taking classes at The Second City (located in the heart of King West) when I was seven years old, so I would walk around the neighbourhood and dream of one day living there. It’s really special to be able to live, work and play in a community that I have grown as both a person and an artist in.

What do you do?

I’m an award-winning filmmaker and actress. I founded GTE Productions, a boutique production company for TV/Film in 2016 when I was 21 years old. I produce, write, direct and act in TV, Film and Digital Media. So basically, I get to play professional dress-up and tell stories. I absolutely love it. It’s a lot of work but it is worth it 🙂

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently developing my first feature film as a writer titled Grace, getting ready to direct and star in The Brunch Club which I also wrote, developing the feature film version of Daddy’s Playground and starting a new film festival. I just wrapped a film as an actor that I’m excited about too :).

Where can we find your work?

Pretty much anywhere you can find film, TV and digital media legally!
Some special ones:

1). Daddy’s Playground premiered on NoBudge on Oct 9th!
2). M.F.A. is available on iTunes, Amazon and Apple TV.
3). Dance Together premiered on Super Channel’s Heart and Home (CAN) and Amazon (USA) on Oct 18th.
4). All episodes of web can be found on Bell Media’s Fine TV1, Sony India or YouTube in Canada.
5). All music videos for Common Deer, Susie Fayth and Jeremie Albino can be found online.

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Although her trajectory has been fast, it’s no coincidence that Clare can be found doing comedy with the world-renowned Second City ensemble. The beginnings of her performance career were in the converted garage space that Calgary’s Improv Guild called home. She did her first professional comedy show at the age of eighteen in the Calgary International Improv festival alongside Whose Line is it Anyway star Colin Mochrie, and soon after made the move to Toronto to attend a theatre program and begin to audition for film and television. It wasn’t long before she had dropped out of school to join the Second City, and had starred in her first feature film, Slamdance Grand Jury Prize® winning Dim the Fluorescents.

What ‘hood are you in?

I live in the Junction Triangle! I get all the perks of being able to walk to the Junction Proper for an afternoon of six-dollar coffees and flirting with mid- century furniture, but I live far enough South that I don’t have to take a bus to get to the subway like some sort of sociopath. Every day in the Triangle is exciting. A neighbour recently told me that the unassuming building just down the street from us at 1025 Lansdowne is a uranium processing plant. We high-fived our glow in the dark hands and all our hair fell out. I love mi neighourdoob.

What do you do?

Sometimes I improvise lines in front of a group of people. Sometimes I memorize lines that a talented person wrote and I say them while an expensive camera watches.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently performing in the Second City Revue The Cure for the Common Comedy. It’s on every Monday down at 51 Mercer Street on the Mainstage. You can also catch me in Murdoch Mysteries and Coroner on CBC Gem. I’m in an upcoming film called Stealing School, and I’ve got some fun Sci-Fi/fantasy things coming up in the summer that I’m very excited about. I’ll be posting about those on Twitter and Instagram as soon as I can!

Where can we follow you?

Follow me @frecklegalaxy, and come hang out at Second City! Tickets are at www.secondcity.com.

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Exposing Sad Ugly Lives

Modern day insecurity is comically poked at through a number of sketches, including one where a young man and woman on a date excessively ask each other permission for the smallest movement or touch. The man goes as far as to ask for the woman’s consent in writing. In another, two strangers come to the demoralizing realization, over a Samsonite spinner no less, that they are just basic bitches. A Snapchat-worthy sketch about a woman broadcasting her self-worth involves much hair flipping, but again just highlights how insecure everyone feels these days. Oh, and not to worry, a Tinder flight of fantasy is also included!

Being inappropriate and insensitive is also funny apparently, as demonstrated by the rest of the revue. From spouses using Google Home as a spy device to a man claiming to have the formula to turn all things queer, it seems people are oblivious to how ugly they can be. For instance, one of the sketches brilliantly mocks self-help podcasts made by privileged white women. The entitled podcasters, wrapped in Indigo Home blanket scarves, read sincere fan mail, then recommend lavender oil, juicing, Post-it Note affirmations, Whole Foods and gratitude journals as reasonable solutions to overcome adversity.

The Best Is Yet To Come Undone also includes a few audience participation sketches, and comedians Brandon Hackett and Stacey McGunnigle both excel with fiercely clever improv work.

Who Are We Really?

The Best Is Yet To Come Undone blasts: Who are we? As the sketches are so relatable, so personal. In our current social culture, aren’t we all just trying to share our ideas, be authentic? Share the best of ourselves?

Along with the laughs, the revue pushes the audience to confront their thoughts around misogyny, sex abuse, racism, representation and a host of other societal shames. Because if we want to move forward out of our current dark age, we can’t be afraid to have challenging conversations. Finding your authentic self isn’t about having a make-believe life, it’s about living a real one.

The Best is Yet to Come Undone is written and performed by The Second City Toronto Mainstage cast, and features new members Sharjil Rasool (MANTOWN), Stacey McGunnigle (Stacey Helps) and Chris Wilson (Royal Canadian Air Farce). They will join returning cast members Allana Reoch (The Beaverton), Nadine Djoury (New Born Moms) and Brandon Hackett (This Hour Has 22 Minutes).

***

The Best is Yet to Come Undone
On now until August, 2018
https://www.secondcity.com/shows/toronto/spring-2018-revue-2/
Every Tuesday to Sunday night
Show tickets starting at $27. Student prices available.
Dinner & Show packages starting at $54.

For The Second City Toronto shows & tickets please visit: http://www.secondcity.com/toronto/

Improv & sketch comedy theatre and bar with nightly shows, located at 51 Mercer St, Toronto.

About The Second City

The Second City, a 100% Canadian-owned company, is the world’s premier improv and sketch comedy theatre company, with resident stages in Toronto and Chicago, Training Centres in Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as touring companies performing throughout the world.

www.secondcity.com

www.sweatequity.ca

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