TOSketchfest is back from March 7 to 17 for its 14th year, and of the many acts scheduled at various venues, The Lusty Mannequins will be at Streetcar Crowsnest. The four-person troupe includes Ashley Comeau and Connor Thompson. It turns out this comedic pair is more than just troupe-mates.
How they met
Connor: We met at the Second City training centre in the conservatory program.
The first date
Ashley: We went to a super religious wedding. Trying to show off, I wore my favourite dress — a red satin number with a plummeting neckline — to a dry, super conservative wedding. We were the harlot table.
Connor: We thought we were going to hell, but we were already in Chatham, so.…
Ashley: Afterwards, we drove three hours home and ended up smooching in Connor’s single bed, his Rothko poster and Band of Brothers DVD collection staring at me the entire time.
Memorable moments
Ashley: The entire front of house staff at Second City witnessed us kiss. We were sitting on top of my red Hyundai, and when we smooched, 15 people burst out the front doors of 51 Mercer Street giggling and cheering. We’ve also lived on a cruise ship together for four months and adopted a rescue dog.
The proposal
Ashley: It was our anniversary and we had just come back from a trip to the aquarium.
Connor: It was on our back porch in the summertime, with a ring that belonged to my grandmother.
The wedding
Ashley: We married in May of 2018 in the Asylum Chapel in London, U.K. Then we had lunch in a former jail in Southwark. We figured that jail and insanity best represented our love. It was a surprise wedding and the best day of my life.
Connor: Like all good weddings, it was an exercise in lies and deceit. We tricked a bunch of our friends into coming under false pretenses. Our pal and troupe-mate Alastair Forbes wore dirty shorts, a T-shirt and a baseball cap to our wedding. That’s how he’ll be remembered forever in our wedding photos. His mother was mortified. Our honeymoon was an improv festival in Athens, Greece.
The offspring
Connor: We have a dog named Toby who is three, and Ashley treats him like a kid, which worries me.
Ashley: To be fair, he looks like us — my jet black hair, Connor’s big, furrowed brows.
Shared hobbies
Ashley: Travel, gardening, reading, comedy, eating carbs, doing funny voices for the dog.
Connor: Right now, Toby is a Québécois director.
The home
Connor: We live near Dupont and Dovercourt. We’ve been here around five years. Our favourite places include South Pacific Takeout for all of your home-cooked, pan-Asian cuisine needs; the Hub for a dynamite breakfast sandwich; the Gem for a hidden spot to go and drink; Blood Brothers for a good, local craft beer; and Frank Custom Tailors for good old-fashioned dry cleaning.
Ashley: Bloorcourt village is a great neighbourhood — tons of hidden gems and local establishments that have been here for ages.
Secret to success
Ashley: Addressing things with humour, patience and grace when you’re at a “three” instead of letting things fester to a “10.” Also knowing each other’s preferred presents for when we’ve really cooked it up.
Connor: Retaining independence, allowing for space and alone time, sharing in both successes and failures.
Life after retirement
Ashley: Living next to the sea on Crete, with a bunch of dogs — including Toby who will still be alive. Either that or a tiny house community with all of our friends.