Oh Susanna! is a live improvised

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...

 variety show/talkshow, presented monthly in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, at the 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...

 in Old Strathcona

Old Strathcona

Old Strathcona is an historic district located in south-central Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Once the commercial core of the separate city of Strathcona, the area is now Edmonton's main arts and entertainment district, and in 2007 was named Alberta's second "Provincial Historic Area"...

. Performances are generally the last Saturday of the month at 11pm. The show is produced by Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 playwright/director Stewart Lemoine

Stewart Lemoine

Stewart Lemoine is a Canadian playwright, director, and producer. Lemoine is based in Edmonton, Alberta and from 1982-2007 was the Artistic Director of Teatro la Quindicina...

 and stars actors 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...

 and Jeff Haslam

Jeff Haslam

Jeff Haslam is a Edmonton, Alberta- based actor.Mr. Haslam is best known as a long time member of Edmonton's Teatro la Quindicina troupe, performing the works of playwright Stewart Lemoine, including Damp Fury, Pith!, Fever-Land, Evelyn Strange, Cocktails at Pam's, Connie in Egypt, The Margin of...

 as the show's hosts Susanna Patchouli and Eros, God of Love. Oh Susanna! has been running since the fall of 1999. The season begins with the annual Halloween

Halloween

Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...

 Special on the last Saturday of October and continues until late July or early August, when the show goes on hiatus for the Edmonton International Fringe Festival

Edmonton International Fringe Festival

The Edmonton International Fringe Festival produced by the Fringe Theatre Adventures is an annual event held every August in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada....

. The show has also toured to eastern Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, with shows at Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

's Poor Alex Theatre

Poor Alex Theatre

Poor Alex Theatre is a theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The Poor Alex was opened in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood in the 1970s in a property owned by Ed Mirvish and took its name as a parody of the Mirvish owned Royal Alexandra Theatre...

, the Alberta Scene in Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 and at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival

Magnetic North Theatre Festival

The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is an annual festival celebrating theatre and related performing arts in Canada operated by the Canadian Theatre Festival Society in partnership with the National Arts Centre. The festival is held Ottawa every two years, with it being held in other Canadian...

. Past regulars on the show have included Ron Pederson

Ron Pederson

Ronald "Ron" Pederson is a Canadian actor and comedian, who has performed extensively throughout Canada and in the United States....

 and Josh Dean

Josh Dean

George Joshua Christian Dean is a Canadian actor and improvisor. He hails from Edmonton, Alberta, where he performed in the improvised soap opera Die-Nasty and toured with improv company Rapid Fire Theatre...

. Guests have included prominent Canadian performers such as 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...

 (SCTV

Second City Television

Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...

, Freaks and Geeks

Freaks and Geeks

Freaks and Geeks is an American teen comedy-drama television series, created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season...

), Dave Thomas

Dave Thomas (actor)

David "Dave" Thomas is a Canadian comedian and actor. He was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, but moved to Durham, North Carolina where his father, John E. Thomas, attended Duke University and earned a PhD in Philosophy. Thomas attended George Watts and Moorehead elementary schools...

 (SCTV

Second City Television

Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...

), Lorne Cardinal

Lorne Cardinal

Lorne Cardinal is a stage, television and film actor, best known for portraying character Davis Quinton on the Canadian television series Corner Gas.-Personal life:...

 (Corner Gas

Corner Gas

Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....

), Debra McGrath

Debra McGrath

Debra McGrath is a Canadian actress and comedienne.-Education:Debra McGrath was born in Toronto in 1954. She studied theatre at Ryerson University.-Career:...

 (Getting Along Famously

Getting Along Famously

Getting Along Famously is a Canadian sitcom which aired on CBC Television in 2006.Set in the early 1960s, Getting Along Famously features Robin Duke, Bob Martin and Patrick McKenna as real-life couple Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath....

, Women Fully Clothed

Women Fully Clothed

Women Fully Clothed is a Canadian live sketch comedy troupe, with a cast of four women, touring throughout the world.-Cast:*Kathy Greenwood *Robin Duke...

), Peter Oldring

Peter Oldring

Peter Oldring is a Canadian TV actor and comedian.- Biography :In addition to performing with The Second City improv group in Toronto and Los Angeles, Oldring has appeared on Canadian television. He was also a regular cast member of the redneck-themed sketch comedy series Blue Collar TV...

 (Blue Collar TV

Blue Collar TV

Blue Collar TV was a television program that aired on The WB Television Network with lead actors Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy. The show's humor dealt principally with contemporary American society, and especially hillbilly, redneck, and Southern stereotypes. The show was...

), Andy Jones

Andy Jones (comedian)

Andrew Jordan Jones is a Canadian comedian, and a former member of CODCO.Andy Jones was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador...

 (CODCO

CODCO

CODCO was a Canadian comedy troupe from Newfoundland, best known for a sketch comedy series which aired on CBC Television from 1987 to 1992....

), Nathan Fillion

Nathan Fillion

Nathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...

 (Firefly

Firefly (TV series)

Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....

, Serenity

Serenity (film)

Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a cargo ship...

, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Fiona Reid

Fiona Reid

Fiona Reid, CM is a Canadian television, film and stage actress. She is best known for her role as Cathy on the TV series King of Kensington....

 (My Big Fat Greek Wedding

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 Canadian and American romantic comedy film written by and starring Nia Vardalos and directed by Joel Zwick. The film is centered on Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos , a middle class Greek American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek upper middle class "White...

), David Lawrence

David Lawrence (actor)

David Lawrence is a Canadian actor, writer, producer and director.Dave Lawrence was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1976. He trained at the Loose Moose Theatre from 1993 to 2001. Lawrence is best known for his headbanger character 'Terry' from the mockumentary FUBAR: The Movie and its follow-up, FUBAR II...

 (FUBAR), Tyson Houseman

Tyson Houseman

Tyson Connor Houseman is a Canadian actor who appeared in The Twilight Saga: New Moon as Quil Ateara.-Background:...

 (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), musician Maria Dunn

Maria Dunn (musician)

Maria Dunn is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has been described as "an arrestingly powerful singer-songwriter who writes great historical and social commentary." Her music blends Celtic folk with North American bluegrass and country influences.-Early life:...

 and internationally renowned puppeteer Ronnie Burkett

Ronnie Burkett

Ronnie Burkett is a Canadian puppeteer, best known for his original theatrical plays for adults, performed with marionettes...

.