A  message  of  Farewell

Seven years ago, four improvisers in Calgary with a passion for hip-hop and improv started experimenting and NOTORIOUS was born. Since then we’ve had the absolute privilege of finding a new home in Toronto and performing with some talented artists we truly admire. Now, after much reflection we realize it’s time to say goodbye and move onto other projects.


This past year has been challenging to say the least. Live comedy has been decimated by the pandemic and many artists are struggling. More than that, this year has illuminated the continued social, economic, and racial inequalities that exist in our world, our country, and our communities. While we were aware that we were using an art form created and utilized by black pioneers, we never truly internalized what that meant until this year. 


If you’re taking the time to read this, you may have read our letter that we released last summer. In it we committed to seeking out black consultancy to evaluate our content and our branding, donating time and money to organizations that specifically support black youth, and to advocate for anti-racist policies and practices from our governments. We also promised to do the internal work and examine the ways in which we are upholding white supremacy. 


While we have done much of what we committed to do over the last six months, we have realized this is a lifelong process that requires re-commitment and action. None of those items are a box to check. In our many conversations surrounding this work, the following emerged very clearly: 

• The singular focus and name of NOTORIOUS is rooted in art and culture that was not ours to misappropriate. 
• It is not fair or equitable for a company led by two white men to benefit from black culture and not give back. 

We’re proud of much of what we’ve accomplished in the last seven years, including donating thousands of dollars and many hours of in-person instruction to charities like Haven. We’ve paid more than a hundred artists for their work in musical comedy. We have travelled, learned and collaborated with incredible people and done our best to support independent venues and businesses wherever possible. We’ve challenged ourselves as artists and producers and done our best to learn from our mistakes. However, none of this matters if we continue to cause harm, either through our actions or lack thereof. 


It’s time to say goodbye to NOTORIOUS. We’re not done making musical comedy. We’re not done supporting emerging artists. And we’re definitely not done using our art for a purpose. On that front especially, we’re only just beginning. We’re really excited about building something more inclusive, equitable and joyful.


Thank you to all of the collaborators over the years, especially Ryan Hildebrandt and Aaron Ranger, our co-founders. Thank you to the venues that have hosted us. Thank you to the fans who have supported us. Thanks to our loved ones who have put up with our unavailability on Saturday nights, and the hundreds of hours of rehearsal over the years. Thanks to the activists, pioneers and artists in the hip-hop world who inspired us to try our hand at such a beautiful and powerful art form. Thank you to the incredible comedy community who have supported and challenged us to be better.

It's been a wild ride and we couldn’t be more grateful. 

Mat Mailandt and Ryan Sheedy