Dana Andersen
Encyclopedia
Dana Andersen is an Edmonton
-based actor, improvisor
, filmmaker, writer and director. He is an alumnus of The Second City
, and has worked closely with Mike Myers
, Ryan Stiles
, and Joe Flaherty
, among others. He currently serves as director of the live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty
, and has been a core member of the troupe since its founding in 1991. From 1995-1999, he co-hosted The Johnny and Poki Variety Hour at Edmonton's Varscona Theatre
. His theatre credits include shows with Teatro la Quindicina
, Panties Productions
, and Rapid Fire Theatre
. Film credits for Andersen include Purple Gas
, Turnbuckle!, and Stray Dogs. He has written, directed and produced a number of independent films, including Rio Loco, Subplot, Subplot II and Hearts of Plastic.
Dana's skills extended beyond his acting and improv abilities. he was also a solid illustrator whose cartoons appeared in his school yearbooks. He often did caricatures of students and teachers for special occasions.
Dana is rumoured to have registered a non-existent person for high school at the end of his Grade 9 year, Oslo Orsifundick III. There are some who claim that school administration officials spent the first couple of weeks of the school year looking for Oslo in the Grade 10 classes that he was registered for. This rumour may have stemmed from false school announcements looking for Oslo, and other Dana created names that may have been put over the PA system by naive school administration officials.
Dana went on to Queen Elizabeth High School where he starred in drama productions including a one act play that saw him as a distraught urban dweller on the ledge of a building threatening to end it all. Again, his comedic skills were evident to all who saw him, and his ability to improvise helped hide any gaffs by his costar to create a seamless production. He was the star of the night.
He was legendary in the school for his comic antics including a project whereby he kidnapped one of the beloved school administrators and 'collected a ransom' that was donated to a school charity. His 'troupe' executed the kidnapping, and then took the school staffer to one of his friend's basement, and then they updated the school throughout the day until the ransom demands were met.
Dana's years at the school saw him as a key part of the visual and performing arts programs. His teachers knew that he was a special student and nurtured his abilities rather than stifled them.
Dana auditioned for a part in the movie 'Why Shoot the Teacher?' produced by Fil Fraser and released in 1976, who managed to land a small role as one of the children. Dana didn't land a part in the movie, but legend has it that he had Fil and the other members of the production crew in stitches with his audition. This was his introduction to Edmonton's arts scene.
company's annual Soap-A-Thon to England, working with legendary British theatre artist Ken Campbell
to produce a 36 hour long soap opera in London. Several members of Campbell's company made the pilgrimage to Canada in 2006 and 2007 to take part in the original 53 hour long event. In January 2008, Andersen returned to London (along with several members of the Die-Nasty
troupe) to direct the 50 hour Improvathon at the People Show Studios.
There, he worked with the likes of Adam Meggido, Oliver Senton, and Ruby Lake. He was joined by Canadian improvisors Kory Mathewson, Matt Alden, Kurt Smeaton, Davina Stewart, Jamie Knifefight Cavanagh, Mark Meer
, Belinda Cornish, and Musical Director Jan Randall
.
Andersen is the recipient of a Dora Mavor Moore Award
for co-writing the revue Not Based on Anything by Stephen King with Second City. He has been nominated for several Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award
s, and received the Sterling Award for Outstanding Fringe Production for co-writing and starring in the play Giant Ants.
Dana's most ambitious undertaking to date will be his upcoming one-man show celebrating the short, but remarkable life of his inspiration and guide, Seph Warphunzic. Set to the music of Eighties band, Martha and the Muffins, the play will be a comedy/sci-fi/musical with a sort of "Mars Attacks" meets "West Side Story" feel to it.
Mike Meyers credits Dana as being part of the creative inspiration for his SNL character 'Dieter'. The inspiration came from their work together at Second City in Toronto.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
-based actor, improvisor
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
, filmmaker, writer and director. He is an alumnus of The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
, and has worked closely with Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
, Ryan Stiles
Ryan Stiles
Ryan Lee Stiles is an American actor, comedian, director, and voice actor whose work is often associated with improvisational comedy. He is best known for his improv and co-production work on the American and British versions of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and the role of Lewis Kiniski on The Drew...
, and Joe Flaherty
Joe Flaherty
Joe Flaherty is an American-Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy SCTV, from 1976 to 1984, and as Harold Weir on Freaks and Geeks...
, among others. He currently serves as director of the live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty
Die-Nasty
Die-Nasty is a live improvised soap opera, running weekly in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since 1991. Die-Nastys improv comedy format features a continuing storyline and recurring characters, live music, and a director who sets up scenes for the audience in voiceover.The cast of Die-Nasty...
, and has been a core member of the troupe since its founding in 1991. From 1995-1999, he co-hosted The Johnny and Poki Variety Hour at Edmonton's Varscona Theatre
Varscona Theatre
The Varscona Theatre is a live performance venue in the Old Strathcona neighborhood of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A former firehall, since 1994 the Varscona has been operated by a consortium of small theatre companies, including Rapid Fire Theatre, Shadow Theatre and Teatro la Quindicina...
. His theatre credits include shows with Teatro la Quindicina
Teatro la Quindicina
Teatro la Quindicina is a theatre company founded by Canadian playwright Stewart Lemoine in 1982 at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival. The company is best known for producing Lemoine's original works but also produces a new comedy by an Edmonton-based playwright each season...
, Panties Productions
Panties Productions
Panties Productions is an all-female Canadian theatre company from Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 2002 by Jocelyn Ahlf, Belinda Cornish, Jana O'Connor, Celina Stachow and Dana Wylie. The company has since produced six original plays and earned nine Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award nominations...
, and Rapid Fire Theatre
Rapid Fire Theatre
Rapid Fire Theatre is an improvisational theatre company based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The company’s goal is to provide affordable, high-energy improvisation and alternative theatre to audiences in Edmonton and beyond, while providing exciting opportunities for its participants.-History:The...
. Film credits for Andersen include Purple Gas
Purple Gas
Purple Gas is a 2003 independent feature film, starring Dana Andersen, Belinda Cornish, Josh Dean, Donovan Workun, and Ron Pederson. Mark Meer provides the opening narration. It was directed by William Minsky and produced by Randal Atamaniuk....
, Turnbuckle!, and Stray Dogs. He has written, directed and produced a number of independent films, including Rio Loco, Subplot, Subplot II and Hearts of Plastic.
Early years
Dana Anderson attended Rosslyn Junior High School in north Edmonton where a group of students Joe Sulyma, Trevis Boyd, Rob Currie, Rick Bremness and Kelly Burke created short comedy films on Super 8 millimeter film. Encouraged by his teachers, Dana directed and starred in these films and in later years he would help fund new projects by holding a 'film festival' of his work. He earned a devoted audience among his peers, though few would ever discover that his genius was completely inspired by his hero, Seph Warphunzic. The school's teachers helped find a few dollars to encourage Dana and his band of actors and technicians do their work. The films had a 'Chaplinesque' quality to them and Dana's ability to commit to the comedy foreshadowed his later work with Second City. The films were very ambitious, and Dana's team would borrow shopping carts to act as camera dollies, climb up on ladders and buildings for long shots and meticulously edit and loop the films for maximum comedic effect.Dana's skills extended beyond his acting and improv abilities. he was also a solid illustrator whose cartoons appeared in his school yearbooks. He often did caricatures of students and teachers for special occasions.
Dana is rumoured to have registered a non-existent person for high school at the end of his Grade 9 year, Oslo Orsifundick III. There are some who claim that school administration officials spent the first couple of weeks of the school year looking for Oslo in the Grade 10 classes that he was registered for. This rumour may have stemmed from false school announcements looking for Oslo, and other Dana created names that may have been put over the PA system by naive school administration officials.
Dana went on to Queen Elizabeth High School where he starred in drama productions including a one act play that saw him as a distraught urban dweller on the ledge of a building threatening to end it all. Again, his comedic skills were evident to all who saw him, and his ability to improvise helped hide any gaffs by his costar to create a seamless production. He was the star of the night.
He was legendary in the school for his comic antics including a project whereby he kidnapped one of the beloved school administrators and 'collected a ransom' that was donated to a school charity. His 'troupe' executed the kidnapping, and then took the school staffer to one of his friend's basement, and then they updated the school throughout the day until the ransom demands were met.
Dana's years at the school saw him as a key part of the visual and performing arts programs. His teachers knew that he was a special student and nurtured his abilities rather than stifled them.
Dana auditioned for a part in the movie 'Why Shoot the Teacher?' produced by Fil Fraser and released in 1976, who managed to land a small role as one of the children. Dana didn't land a part in the movie, but legend has it that he had Fil and the other members of the production crew in stitches with his audition. This was his introduction to Edmonton's arts scene.
Current work
In 2005, Andersen exported the Die-NastyDie-Nasty
Die-Nasty is a live improvised soap opera, running weekly in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since 1991. Die-Nastys improv comedy format features a continuing storyline and recurring characters, live music, and a director who sets up scenes for the audience in voiceover.The cast of Die-Nasty...
company's annual Soap-A-Thon to England, working with legendary British theatre artist Ken Campbell
Ken Campbell (actor)
Kenneth Victor Campbell was an English writer, actor, director and comedian known for his work in experimental theatre...
to produce a 36 hour long soap opera in London. Several members of Campbell's company made the pilgrimage to Canada in 2006 and 2007 to take part in the original 53 hour long event. In January 2008, Andersen returned to London (along with several members of the Die-Nasty
Die-Nasty
Die-Nasty is a live improvised soap opera, running weekly in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since 1991. Die-Nastys improv comedy format features a continuing storyline and recurring characters, live music, and a director who sets up scenes for the audience in voiceover.The cast of Die-Nasty...
troupe) to direct the 50 hour Improvathon at the People Show Studios.
There, he worked with the likes of Adam Meggido, Oliver Senton, and Ruby Lake. He was joined by Canadian improvisors Kory Mathewson, Matt Alden, Kurt Smeaton, Davina Stewart, Jamie Knifefight Cavanagh, Mark Meer
Mark Meer
Mark Meer is a Canadian actor, writer and improvisor, based in Edmonton, Alberta. He is a core company member of the Canadian Comedy Award-winning live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty, and was the first performer to complete the annual 53-hour long Die-Nasty Soap-A-Thon without sleep.He is also a...
, Belinda Cornish, and Musical Director Jan Randall
Jan Randall
Canadian composer Jan Randall is known primarily for his work in television and theatre. A pianist and singer, he has composed chamber music and songs in a wide variety of contemporary styles.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1952...
.
Andersen is the recipient of a Dora Mavor Moore Award
Dora Mavor Moore Award
The Dora Mavor Moore Award is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance, and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped establish Canadian professional theatre, the award was established on December 13, 1978...
for co-writing the revue Not Based on Anything by Stephen King with Second City. He has been nominated for several Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award
Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award
The Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award is a local Edmonton, Alberta award presented annually which honours excellence in theatre...
s, and received the Sterling Award for Outstanding Fringe Production for co-writing and starring in the play Giant Ants.
Dana's most ambitious undertaking to date will be his upcoming one-man show celebrating the short, but remarkable life of his inspiration and guide, Seph Warphunzic. Set to the music of Eighties band, Martha and the Muffins, the play will be a comedy/sci-fi/musical with a sort of "Mars Attacks" meets "West Side Story" feel to it.
Miscellany
Dana appeared in a video for a song by Ian Thomas in the 80s which aired on Much Music. This was filmed in the period of time that Dana was with Second City.Mike Meyers credits Dana as being part of the creative inspiration for his SNL character 'Dieter'. The inspiration came from their work together at Second City in Toronto.
External links
- Die-Nasty Homepage http://www.die-nastyimprov.com