Sit Down Comedy Show
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[Image Description: The Sit Down Comedy Show graphic featuring all of the information about the event in shades of neon white and hot pink overtop a dimly lit navy blue brick wall background. The event's co-presenters are featured in the top corners of the graphic in white from left to right reading “The Disability Collective” and “ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto”. The centre of the graphic reads “Sit Down Comedy Show” in a neon white and pink bold font, and to the right is a large silver microphone. Below, the graphic reads "Pay What You Can Tickets" in neon white font. A hazy hot pink line divides the graphic horizontally and hot pink smoke rises. Below it in bright white bold font reads “Friday, November 24th, Comedy Bar Danforth, 7 PM. Livestream option available. thedisabilitycollective.com. raffto.ca”. Supporters of the event are listed in the bottom left corner including the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario, and two white graphics in the bottom right corner indicate that masks will be required and that the event will be ASL-interpreted]
Friday, November 24
7 PM - 8:15 PM EST
Comedy Bar Danforth
2800 Danforth Avenue, Toronto
ASL
Interpretation
Tickets are pay what you can.
Patrons purchasing tickets at a higher price point can do so with the understanding that their ticket price is helping to subsidize the lower ticket prices, and in doing so, are making this show more accessible for others.
The Disability Collective and ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto are excited to introduce Sit Down Comedy Show! Following RAFFTO's immense success with previous comedy nights, we are incredibly excited to team up for this night of fun showcasing five disabled comedians.
Hosted by Lora Campbell, Artistic Director of ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto, join us on Friday, November 24 at 7 PM EST at Comedy Bar Danforth or online via livestream at thedisabilitycollective.com!
We would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, and the Government of Ontario for their support.
ASL Vlog
Access Measures:
ASL interpretation will be provided throughout the show. ASL volunteers will be available to assist at Front of House.
COVID-19 Policies:
The safety of our audience, artists, volunteers, and staff is our number one priority.
Masks are required for all audience members but may be removed temporarily for drinking and eating. Masks are not required in the shared spaces of the venue, including the lobby and washrooms.
Masks should fit snugly against the face without gaps; cloth masks should have at least two layers of fabric. Neck gaiters and bandanas are not permitted. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
ROSANI CHRISTY
Rosani Christy is a Toronto based comedian living with Multiple Sclerosis. She took a standup course at The Second City and has never looked back. She has been on Alt Dot Comedy Lounge, The ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto’s Comedy Night and appeared on Breakfast Television. When she is not on stage she is watching reruns of Teen Mom for tips...
[Image Description: A photo of Rosani Christy, from the waist up. They are looking off to the right and are holding a white baby goat]
[Image Description: The image is of a woman with black hair, wearing makeup and smiling. She has long, layered hair and is wearing black clothing]
COURTNEY GILMOUR
Courtney Gilmour is a JUNO nominated stand up comedian, television writer, and finalist on Canada’s Got Talent. She is one of Canada's most unique voices and sought after comedy talents, named by NOW Magazine as “one of the top 10 stage artists to watch”. She delivered a breakout performance at the 2017 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal by winning the Homegrown Comics Competition and filming a set for Kevin Hart's LOL Network. Courtney's victory at the 2017 Just For Laughs Homegrown was the first by a female comic in the 19 year history of the event. In 2018 she topped it with televised performances at CBC’s Winnipeg and Halifax comedy festivals, as well as a triumphant return to Montreal to tape a set for The Comedy Network at Just for Laughs.
Courtney is a regular at the Just For Laughs festival with multiple headlining shows at Just For Laughs Toronto, a filmed TV set for CBC’s New Wave of Stand Up in Vancouver, and many appearances at the JFL flagship festival in Montreal including a televised performance on The Howie Mandel All Stars Gala airing on The CW Network.
Her solo Fringe show “‘Congratulations!’ Stories of Achievement, Embarrassment, & Self-Worth” debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival in summer 2019 and was met with sold out shows as well as multiple awards including Best of Fringe and Patrons’ Pick, earning her three extra performance runs and acceptance into the Brighton Fringe Festival in the UK.
She has written for and made appearances on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, CBC’s The Debaters, Space Dragon & Kim, and CBC’S Humour Resources alongside Jon Dore and Sarah Silverman, and most recently she can be seen on two episodes of CTV Comedy’s Roast Battle Canada. In 2022 Courtney competed in the second season of Canada’s Got Talent, during her semi-finals performance she got the judges’ vote to go straight to the finals as one of the top 8. You can catch her touring around the country with Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Clubs and heard regularly on SiriusXM and CBC LOL.
Her debut stand up album “Let Me Hold Your Baby” was released under Comedy Records in 2022 and was nominated for a JUNO award in 2023 for Comedy Album Of The Year. Courtney’s warm, accessible, and intelligent brand of stand up has made her a hit with audiences nationwide.
[Image Description: A black and white close up photo of Robert, who is smiling]
ROBERT HAUGHTON
Robert, a New York native who now calls Milton, Ontario, home, is eagerly contributing to Sit Down Comedy Show. In his role as the Child & Family Therapist at PAH!, a mental health service dedicated to Deaf & Hard of Hearing children, youth, and their families, Robert combines compassion with expertise. While his primary focus is on mental health, Robert takes immense pride in being a father to four children and a beloved dog named Ruben. His theatrical journey boasts noteworthy performances, featuring roles in productions like Fences (2008), Spoon River Anthology (2009), Julius Caesar (2015) with Gallaudet University Theatre, and the recent production Fernando & Llama Friends (2023). Not confined solely to the stage, Robert has left an indelible mark on the screen, notably as part of the MTV Blame MTV commercial in 2003. Directed by David Horowitz, this commercial, titled "Sign Language", not only showcased Robert's acting prowess but also added a dynamic layer to his diverse artistic portfolio. With a rich background spanning both theater and media, Robert brings a unique blend of talent and experience to every project he undertakes, leaving an enduring impact on both the stage and screen.
[Image Description: A photo of Andie Hong looking directly into the camera. They wear glasses and a denim shirt]
ANDIE HONG
Andie Hong is a filmmaker, comedian, writer, and sketch performer. Her short film My Strange Girlfriend was an official selection and in the finals for the best horror short in the Los Angeles Theatrical Release Competition & Awards, and has directed music videos for Toronto indie rock band Akage No Anne. Her unique brand of comedy has made her one of the up-and-coming voices in the Toronto comedy scene. She’s been running Laugh at Me, Baby (formerly 56 Minutes) out of Toronto’s famous Comedy Bar for 7 years. As a sketch writer, she has written and performed as a member of the all-female POC sketch troupe Don Valley Girls. With DVG, she performed at Toronto Sketchfest and Toronto Fringe Festival, and won an audience choice award (Sketchfest) and Patron’s Pick Award (Fringe). Her writings, focusing on her personal experiences in comedy, have been featured in The Comedy Tribune and CBC. She recently completed an IPF/CMF development for the Don Valley Girls: Digital Series project.
[Image Description: Desiree Walsh is a comedian with cerebral palsy, who uses a manual wheelchair and has green eyes and kind of curly dark brown hair]
DESIREE WALSH
A former competitive swimmer, Desiree Walsh traded in early morning swim workouts for the late nights of stand-up comedy. She has been featured on Breakfast Television, The ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto Comedy Night, The Laugh Riot Grrrl (Girl) Festival, and the now-defunct show Nighttime TV on Rogers cable Mississauga. She is also part of a comedy invasion series on AAM.tv, Amazon Prime, Roku and Tubi. She also has a comedy album with Howl and Roar Records called Everybody Panic!, available wherever you can get music. She is also a featured performer on season 2 of Breaking Character on AMI (Accessible Media Inc). She is also one of the producers of the Zoom comedy show Des and Kelly. She hosts a booked mic every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 8 PM EST. You should come sometime. In her spare time, she likes to eat cheese out of a bag and ask strangers if she can pet their dogs - not at the same time, though.