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It’s been said that a good roast is like a eulogy – but with better timing. And, in that regard, no one has better timing than George Reinblatt, Artsci’99, a film studies grad who has carved out a singular path in the world of television comedy, specializing in the art of the roast. 

But even though he’s an expert in the kind of barbs that make celebrities squirm, for Reinblatt, now head writer and executive producer of CTV’s Roast Battle Canada, it’s all part and parcel of having a positive impact on the world through the art of comedy and the power of the written word. 

“There’s so much art nowadays that stirs up bad emotions or makes you feel sad. And I’m just the opposite. I only want to make you laugh,” he says.  

Roasts are just a part of Reinblatt’s impressive resumé.

His professional start came with his creation – alongside fellow Artsci graduates Christopher Bond, Artsci’01, Frank Cipolla, Artsci’98, and Melissa Morris, Artsci’02, (now Adjunct Lecturer at the DAN School of Drama and Music) – of Evil Dead The Musical, a show the New York Times said might just succeed as “the next Rocky Horror Show.”

Reinblatt’s musical, which launch-ed at the Tranzac Club on Brunswick Avenue in Toronto back in 2003, has exploded in popularity worldwide. What started as a small-time tribute to the Sam Raimi-Bruce Campbell--led comedy-horror franchise is now a certified cultural phenomenon, with fans around the world – something Reinblatt says he never could have imagined.

“Did I expect this show would reach these levels? Of course not. We shoot fake blood on our audience as they watch musical theatre. You could never predict something that ridiculous would be playing for over 21 years in over 350 cities,” Reinblatt says. “I’m still shocked by how big this became.”

Ever since Evil Dead The Musical’s rise, Reinblatt has enjoyed considerable success as a writer on both sides of the border. And while you may not recognize his name, you most certainly have been entertained by his words. His writing has appeared in shows on major American networks, he’s been nominated for six Canadian Screen Awards and an Outer Critics Circle Award (honouring theatrical achievement), and won a Dora Award, which recognizes excellence in theatre, dance, and opera productions in Toronto.

And, of course, it is no surprise that he has also contributed as a writer to Comedy Central Roasts, including roasts of Justin Bieber, Bruce Willis, and Rob Lowe. To top it off, he’s written comedic material for big names like Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and Steve Martin at the Much Music Video Awards and Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival. 

“The amount of times the word ‘roast’ is on my resumé is crazy,” he jokes. 

But the recipe for a perfect roast is, well, no laughing matter.

“When writing a joke, you analyze every syllable. Should this word go at the top of the sentence? Or is it funnier at the end? Can I make it shorter?” he says. “The art is in trying to shape the perfect sentence that gets the biggest possible laugh.”

Throughout Reinblatt’s professional success, one thread has remained constant: his deep ties to Queen’s. As a student, he was part of Queen’s Musical Theatre (QMT), the now-defunct Studio Q (a former video media organization within the Alma Mater Society), and Queen’s Bands. 

“Literally, I can trace almost everything I’ve done back to Queen’s,” Reinblatt says. “With Evil Dead, I met Chris and Melissa in QMT, I met Frank in the Bands – so Evil Dead is a total Queen’s connection.”

Reinblatt says he found many outlets for performance at Queen’s, all leading him down the path to success as the playwright and writer he is today.

“Queen’s just gave so many opportunities to perform, to express yourself, and I took as many as I could at the time,” he reflects. “And now, all these years later, it kind of sparked everything that became my career.”