Classes

Oliver is passionate about unscripted theatre and the cross-section that exists between acting and improvisation. He runs SODA Impro through which he produces Played Out, a three-act unscripted play with an emphasis on slow character-driven scenes, and Cap or No Cap, a panel show bringing together Toronto comedians of all disciplines. Current regular collaborators include Lara Johnson, Naomi Snieckus, Matt Baram, and Reid Janisse. He is a faculty member at The Assembly Improv in Toronto and coaches troupes independently. Specialty course offerings in Toronto, Detroit, and Los Angeles have included: Viewpoints, Mindfulness, and Meisner for the Actor Improviser, Acting for Improvisers – Impulse, Insight, and Emotion; The Game In Narrative; and Intro to Viewpoints for Improvisation. His newest workshop Acting for Improvisers – Stanislavski and Scene Dynamics was a part of Snow Day Improv Marathon in Detroit and will be featured in this year's the Dramatic Improv Festival in Chicago.

The long-awaited Vampire Zombies... From Space!, a 1950s horror-comedy homage starring Oliver as a chain-smoking greaser heartthrob, is currently racking up awards around the world in the genre film festival circuit. He's delighted to have worked so closely with Bygone Theatre in the past few years on live stage productions of The Rear Window, The Birds, and Wayne & Shuster, Live! He also helped develop the roles of Edwin in Kristen Da Silva's The Bluff (Theatre Orangeville) and Mr. Gordon in Vishesh Abeyratne's workshop of Blood Offering (Alma Matter Productions). Oliver has become a regular headlining act for the past few years at the Detroit Improv Festival. He's an alumnus of Second City Toronto House Co, and can be found sporting a horrible pseudo-Irish accent in the Canadian Podcast Award-winning series Caverns & Comedians.

Photo credit: Joanna Haughton