An accomplished, award-winning member of Canada's theatre and film/TV scenes, Melody's work as performer, writer and director is recognized coast to coast to coast at such prestigious institutions as the Stratford Festival, Tarragon Theatre, and Second City (Toronto and Chicago). Melody is also a voice actor on seasons one and two of Treehouse TV's Agent Binky and the award-winning Ketterkenny, among other commercial work. Selected TV: Slings & Arrows, Michael Tuesdays and Thursdays, in addition to originating many roles in Canadian theatre (with over ten Dora nominations and one win). Melody's play Miss Caledonia has toured extensively across Canada and the UK, and will enjoy productions at two other major Canadian theatres for the 2021/22 season. For more information visit melodyjohnson.ca.

Christel Bartelse is a multi disciplinary artist based in Toronto. As an actor, storyteller, writer, producer, clown, teacher and comedian, she is mostly known for her six solo shows which she created, wrote, performed and produced and they have toured across Canada, the US and the UK. She is the creator of the Podcast All KIDding Aside, and cohost/coproducer of Chris and Christel’s Collection, a multi disciplinary variety cabaret. She is also the Co-Producer and Co-Host of the monthly storytelling show But That's Another Story, with Briane Nasimok. She is highly regarded in the Storytelling Community. Christel is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program, the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, has studied with numerous teachers from around the Globe in dance, improv, physical comedy, theatrical clown) and is a 4 time Canadian Comedy Award Nominee. She has been a faculty at Humber College for over ten years teaching physical comedy. She's also a highly regarded guest instructor in numerous schools around the GTA. She strives to create physical based shows with a universal message. She thrives on teaching students self expression, creativity, movement and physicality and giving them the tools to create their own work. She's terrible at updating her website but in case- www.christelbartelse.com

Andrew Clark is an award-winning author and humourist. He writes the weekly Road Sage column for The Globe and Mail. He is the co-ordinator of the Humber College Comedy program in Toronto.

He has won a gold award and been nominated several times for his writing at the National Magazine Awards, and was nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award in the English-language non-fiction category for his most recent book, A Keen Soldier: The Execution of Second World War Private Harold Pringle. In the 1990s, he became Canada’s first full-time comedy critic and his first book, Stand and Deliver: Inside Canadian Comedy, remains the standard for writing critically about comedy. As a freelance journalist, he has written for publications including The Globe and Mail, The Walrus, McSweeney's, Maclean’s and The New York Times Magazine.

Robin began her career improvising, writing and performing sketch comedy at Second City Theatre in Toronto. Since then she has written and performed on television’s SCTV and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, she most recently appeared for three seasons on FX’s MAN SEEKING WOMAN, and as Wendy from the Blouse Barn on SCHITT’S CREEK.

Her Film work includes the classic Harold Ramis comedy GROUNDHOG DAY.

Robin continues to write with, perform and co-produce the all-woman SKETCH comedy troupe WOMEN FULLY CLOTHED. Since 2004, WFC have successfully toured Canada, the US and the Edinburgh Fringe festival to sold out houses and rave reviews.

She recently completed a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Nonfiction at King’s College in Halifax. She hopes to complete her memoir; My Funny Life and Improvising Through It, by Spring 2021.

Her awards include, a Star on Canada’s Walk of Fame for her work on SCTV, and Emmy nomination for writing on Saturday Night Live and the David Broadfoot Comic Genius Award.

Larry Horowitz spent 47 years performing stand-up comedy all around the world. For the last 20 years he has doubled as a full-time professor in the Humber College Comedy Program. Larry rode his career into film & countless television shows; he is the author of three books and has also completed six major motion picture scripts winning standing in numerous film festivals. Currently, Larry is executive producer on CUP OF CHEER, a movie for release in 2021.

Larry teaches all aspects of stand-up comedy: Composition, performances, business and ethics. Being one of the founding performers/investors of The Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club chain, Larry has arranged an ongoing weekly show there exclusively for his Humber comedy students giving them live stage time at 

Lisa Merchant is an award-winning improvisor. She has performed and taught improvisation nationally and internationally for 30-plus years. She is a senior faculty member with The Second City Training Centre and The Second City Works division, and an ongoing program director with York University Osgoode Law Professional Development. She created, produced and performed March of Dames, a weeklong all-female comedy festival that ran for 10 years.

She is a multiple nominee and winner of four Canadian Comedy Awards, three for Best Female Improvisor. Lisa was a cast member of the Gemini-nominated Joe Blow Show. When not improvising, she shows up on various television programming, Murdoch Mysteries, American Gods, Degrassi XV, Train 48... In addition to performing numerous improv shows around Toronto and across Canada, she performs monthly in the award-winning Monkey Toast, the live improvised talk show, now in its 19th year.

She delivered improv-focused workshops to some of the Canadian Olympic Team hopefuls for the London 2012 Summer Games as well as Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

“Taking improv with Lisa Merchant was a game changer for me. It not only helped me be a better communicator, it made me a better person. I learned fundamental ideas that I still apply to this day. Over ten years after taking that original class, I invited Lisa to come and speak to the 2012 Canadian Olympic team to give them a competitive advantage. Such is the value of what she has to teach.”

- Mark Tewksbury, Olympic Champion and 2012 Canadian Olympic Team Chef de Mission

Award Highlights

• Platinum Winner of The Toronto Star 2020 and 2019 Reader's Choice Award for Best Theatre Instructor
• Awarded by The Second City 2019 Frank McAnulty Faculty Award
• Winner of the 2019 World's Biggest Improv Tournament surviving 126 teams