Loose Moose Theatre

The Loose Moose Theatre Company (LMTC), is a theater company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was co-founded in 1977, by Keith Johnstone and Mel Tonken. LMTC has an international reputation for developing the theatrical style of improvisation and specifically the work of Keith Johnstone. LMTC is the birthplace of such improvisation shows as Theatresports®, Micetro®, Gorilla Theatre® and Life Game®. (All of these formats are copyrighted and trademarked to Keith Johnstone. In 2011 Theatresports® trade mark was transferred to the International Theatresports Institute.)In 1998, Dennis Cahill became the Artistic Director of Loose Moose.

The Loose Moose is an active theatre company producing in house and touring, plus it offers a training centre for individuals interested in improvisational theatre. They have continued a long-standing tradition of producing a weekend-afternoon series of children's theatre, and an evening series of improvisational comedic theatre as well as various improvised based plays and special events such as the International Improvisation Summit in March 2010 and Improvisation marathons (the longest of which lasted 52 hours of sleepless improvisation).

Loose Moose has existed in a few venues since its inception. Originally in the Pumphouse theatre, Loose Moose moved to a space within an industrial complex in the northeast area of Calgary (near the airport). After space-use and lease negotiations with a neighbouring Christian academy failed to be resolved, LMTC took up in the historic Garry Theatre in the Inglewood district. In 2005, LMTC moved into a new performance space in the Calgary Crossroads Market.

Since 1988, the Loose Moose has hosted the Loose Moose International Improvisation Summer School, a two-week school in the summer drawing people all over the world to Calgary which has long been recognized as a hub of narrative improvisation inspiration and education in the world.

Many LMTC alumni are now working in the areas of film, television, stage and still use their improvisational skills as a foundation for their work. Loose Moose alumni include Roman Danylo, Rebecca Northan, Albert Howell, Tony Totino, Rick Hilton, Dave Duncan, Mark McKinney, Bruce McCulloch, Norm Hiscock, Veena Sood, Clem Martini, Patti Stiles, Derek Flores, Terra Hazelton, Eric Amber, Roger Fredericks, Jan Derbyshire, Roderick Crawford, Chris Cline,vFrank Totino, Pat Kelly, Shawn Kinley, Bruce Horak, Peter Oldring, Paul Spence, David Lawrence, Rob Mitchelson, Dave Ware, A.J. Demers, Renee Amber, Andrew Phung, Jamie Northan, Steve Jarand, Immanuela Lawrence, and Graeme Davies.

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