The Second City

For the geographical term, see List of second cities. For the Dresden Files episode, see Second City (Dresden). For other uses, see The Second City (disambiguation).

The Second City is a long-running improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.

The Second City logo by Chicago calligrapher John Weber

The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City has produced television programs in both the United States and Canada including SCTV, Second City Presents, and Next Comedy Legend, as well as being heavily involved in the creation of the satirical 1969 sci-fi film "The Monitors." Since its debut, Second City has consistently been a starting point for comedians, award winning actors, directors, and others in show business.

History

Second City evolved from the Compass Players, a 1950s cabaret revue show started by undergraduates at the University of Chicago. The troupe chose the self-mocking name "The Second City" from the title of an article about Chicago by A. J. Liebling that appeared in The New Yorker in 1952. In 1959, the first Second City revue show premiered at 1842 North Wells Street and moved to 1616 North Wells in 1967. Co-founder Bernard Sahlins owned the theater company until 1985, before selling it to Canadian Andrew Alexander.

The style of comedy has changed with time, but the format has remained constant. Second City revues feature a mix of semi-improvised and scripted scenes with new material developed during unscripted improv sessions after the second act where scenes are created based on audience suggestions. A Second City innovation is the inclusion of live, improvised music during the performance.

A number of well-known performers began careers as part of the historic troupe and later moved to television and film. In the mid-1970s, Second City became a source of cast members for Saturday Night Live and SCTV, which borrowed many of the writing and performing techniques pioneered by Second City and other improv groups.

Along with its theaters, training centers, and television shows, Second City also produces improv and sketch shows for Norwegian Cruise Line.

SCTV

Main article: Second City Television

Second City Television, or SCTV, was a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from the Toronto troupe of the Second City that ran from 1976 to 1984.

The basic premise of SCTV was modeled on a television station in the fictional city of Melonville. Rather than broadcast the usual TV rerun fare, the business, run by the greedy Guy Caballero (Joe Flaherty) sitting in a wheelchair only to gain sympathy and leverage in business and staff negotiations, operates a bizarre and humorously incompetent range of cheap local programming. The range included a soap opera called "The Days of the Week;" game shows such as "Shoot the Stars," in which celebrities literally are shot at in similar fashion to targets in a shooting gallery; and movie spoofs such as "Play it Again, Bob" in which Woody Allen (Rick Moranis) attempts to entice Bob Hope (Dave Thomas) to star in his next film. In-house media melodrama also was satirized by John Candy's vain, bloated variety star character Johnny La Rue, Thomas' acerbic critic Bill Needle and Andrea Martin's flamboyant, leopard-skin clad station manager Mrs. Edith Prickley.

The Second City Training Center

Main article: The Second City Training Center

The Second City Training Center was founded in the mid-1980s to facilitate the growing demand for workshops and instruction from the world famous Second City theatre. Training Centers are located in Chicago, Toronto and Los Angeles. The Training Centers have grown substantially since the Second City Conservatory was established in the mid-1980s under the tutelage of longtime Chicago improv instructors and mentors Martin de Maat and Sheldon Patinkin. The Chicago Training Center has over 1,800 students in several disciplines, including improvisation and comedy writing. Former Training Center students include Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Bonnie Hunt, Stephen Colbert, Halle Berry, Sean Hayes, Amy Sedaris, Jon Favreau, Hinton Battle, Jack McBrayer, Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald. Classes are taught by working professionals, many of whom are current and former Second City performers.

The Second City Parents School

In the early days of Second City, several parents and Lincoln Park community members—including Paul and Carol Sills and Dennis and Mona Cunningham—started a progressive school for their children, based on Viola Spolin's play therapy philosophy with her son Paul Sills' theater games refinements to it. Early Second City staff, and Old Town and Lincoln Park community members, were deeply involved in the school, including the Sillses and Cunninghams, Viola Spolin, John Schultz, Mel Spiegel, and Beverly Gold. The progressive curriculum included daily theater games, and many students went on to careers in entertainment. Briefly at the original Old Town theater site at the intersection of Clark, Wells, and Lincoln Avenue, the school had several locations in Lincoln Park until it closed in the mid-1970s.

Andrew Alexander

See the full article on Andrew Alexander.

Andrew Alexander took the reins of Second City Toronto in 1974 and formed a partnership with Len Stuart in 1976, starting The Second City Entertainment Company. Its first television production was SCTV. Alexander co-developed and executive produced over 185 half-hour shows for the award-winning comedy series, and produced over 150 hours of award-winning television comedy. Alexander has had co-production deals with MGM Television, Imagine Films, Disney Studios and United Artists, and has developed television programming for CBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, and A&E. He has produced movies and television with such notable talents as John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Bonnie Hunt, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Harold Ramis, Dave Thomas, Jim Belushi, George Wendt, Edward Asner, Andrea Martin, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey.

In 1985, Alexander and Stuart became owners of Chicago's Second City. He has produced or executive produced over 200 Second City revues in Canada and the United States. Most recently, Alexander has expanded The Second City TV & Film Division with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto and was executive producer on the recently released feature film Intern Academy.

He serves on the Columbia College Board of Trustees, is Chair of the Gilda's Club Honorary Board (Toronto), and is also an Honorary Member of the Chicago Gilda's Club Board.

Mr. Alexander has received numerous awards including the The Canadian Comedy Awards’ Chairman’s Award, Gilda’s Magic Award from Gilda’s Club, The League of Chicago Theater’s 2009 Artistic Leadership Award and named 2009 Chicagoan of the Year by Chicago Tribune.

Awards

The Second City has twice been awarded an Equity Joseph Jefferson Award, once in 1997 as an ensemble in the "New Work" category for Paradigm Lost. The show featured Tina Fey, Scott Adsit, Kevin Dorff, Rachel Dratch, Jenna Jolovitz, Jim Zulevic and was directed by Mick Napier. Stephnie Weir received the "Actress in a Revue" Jeff Award for Second City 4.0 in 2000.

Toronto's Second City mainstage troupe has won eight Canadian Comedy Awards: "Best Improv Troupe" (2001), "Best Sketch Troupe" (2001), "Best Sketch Troupe" (2006) "Best Sketch Troupe" (2009) and "Best Comedic Play" winners Family Circus Maximus (2002)Psychedelicatessen (2003), Facebook of Revelations and Barack to the Future (2009).

The Compass Players, Playright's Theatre Club and The Second City, NY

1959 - 1959 Alan Alda, Jane Alexander, Howard Alk, Alan Arkin, Larry Arrick, Rose Arrick, Ed Asner, Sandy Baron, Lloyd Battista, Walter Beakel, Shelley Berman, Haym Bernson, Roger Bowen, Hildy Brooks, R.Victor Brooks, Jack Burns, Mona Burr, Loretta Chiljian, Del Close, Robert Coughlan, Barbara Dana, Severn Darden, Bob Dishy, Kornel Michael David, MacIntyre Dixon, Paul Dooley, Andrew Duncan, Tom Erhart, Theodore J. Flicker, Barbara "Bobbi" Gordon, Mark Gordon, Philip Baker Hall, Larry Hankin, Valarie Harper, Barbara Harris, Jo Henderson, Mo Hirsch, Kenna Hunt, Henry Jaglom, Linda Lavin, Martin Lavut, Sid azard, Mickey LeGlaire, Richard Libertini, Ron Liebman, Freya Manston, Allaudin Mathieu, Elaine May, Paul Mazursky, Anne Meara, Lucy Minnerle, George Morrison, Mike Nichols, Tom O'Horgan, Robert Patton, Nancy Ponder, Diana Sands, Reni Santoni, Linda Segal, Omar Shapli, Suzanne Honey Shepard, David Shepherd, George Sherman, Peg Shirley, Paul Sills, Viola Spolin, Leslie J. Stark, Jerry Stiller, Ron Weynard, Collin Wilcox, Mary Louise Wilson

Chicago Alumni

See also: List of notable Second City Chicago Alumni

1959 - Howard Alk, Roger Bowen, Severn Darden, Andrew Duncan, Barbara Harris, Mina Kolb, [[William Mathieu]], Sheldon Patinkin, Bernard Sahlins, Paul sills, Eugene Troobnick 1960 - Alan Arkin, Paul Sand, Joyce Sloane 1961 - Bill Alton, John Brent, Hamilton Camp, Del Close, Melinda Dillon, Anthony Holland, Zohra Lampert, Alan Myerson, Irene Riordan, Joan Rivers, Avery Schreiber 1962 - Mona Burr, Dennis Cunningham, Dick Schaal 1963 - Jack Burns, MacIntyre Dixon, Ann Elder, Judy Elder, Melissa 'Sally' Hart, Richard Libertini, Omar Shapli 1964 - Ian Davidson, Eugene Kadish, Fred Kaz, Harv Robbin, David Steinburg 1965 - Joan Bassiee, Robert Benedetti, Alex Canaan, Sondra Caron, Josephine Forsberg, Judy Graubart, Robert Klein, David Paulsen, Fred Willard 1966 - Bob Curry, Sid Grossfeld, Sandy Holt, Jon Shank. David Walsh, Penny White 1967 - J.J Barry, Peter Boyle, Martin Harvey Friedberg, Burt Heyman, Lynne Lipton, Ira Miller 1968 - Murphy Dunne, Michael Miller, Carol Robinson 1969 - David Blum, Martin de Maat, Jim Fisher, Joe Flaherty, Nate Herman, Pamela Hoffman, Roberta Maguire, Judy Morgan, Brian Doyle Murray, Harold Ramis, Eric Ross, Cyril Simon, Paul Taylor 1971 - John Belushi, Eugene Ross-Leming, Dan Ziskie 1972 - Dave Rasche, Ann Ryerson 1973 - John Candy, Stephanie Cotsirilos, Tino Insana, Bill Murray, Jim Staahl, Betty Thomas 1974 - Dan Aykroyd, Cassandra Danz, Don DePollo, Michael J. Gellman, Allan Guttman, Deborah Harmon, Richard Kurtzman, Eugene Levy, Raul Moncada, Rosemary Radcliffe, Gilda Radner, Mert rich, Doug Steckler, Paul Zegler 1975 - Bernadette Birkett, Miriam Flynn, George Wendt 1976 - Will Aldis, Eric Boardman, Steven Kampmann, Shelley Long, Jim Sherman 1977 - Cynthia Cavalenes, Larry Coven 1978 - Jim Belushi, Tim Kazuirnsky, Audrie Neenan, Lawrence J. Perkins, Maria Ricossa 1979 - Danny Breen, Mary Gross, Bruce Jarchow, Nancy McCabe-Kelly 1980 - Meagen Fay, Lance Kinsey, Rob Riley 1981 - Susan Bugg, John Kapelos, Rick Thomas 1982 - Nonie Newton-Breen, Cheryl Sloane, Craig Taylor 1983 - Bekka Eaton, Ed Greenberg, Michael Hagerty, Isabella Hoffman, Richard Kind 1985- Andrew Alexander, Mindy Bell, Jim Fay, Mona Lyden, Len Stuart 1986 - Dan Castellaneta, Rick Hall, Bonnie Hunt, Maureen Kelly, Harry Murphy 1987 - Steve Assad, Kevin Crowley, Aaron Freeman, Ruby Streak, Barbara Wallace, Ron West 1988 - Joe Liss, Mike Myers 1989 - Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Joel Murray, David Pasquesi, Judith Scott, Holly Wortell 1990 - Tom Gianas, Bob Odenkirk, Tim O'Malley, Jill Talley 1991 - Fran Adams, Cynthia Caponera, Steve Carell, Michael McCarthy, John Rubano 1992 - Paul Dinello, Kelly Leonard, Ruth Rudnick, Amy Sedaris 1993 - Stephen Colbert, David Razowsky 1994 - Scott Adsit, Scott Allman, Jackie Hoffman 1995 - Rachel Dratch, Jon Glaser, Jenna Jolovitz, Adam McKay 1996 - Kevin Dorff, Tina Fey, Mick Napier, Lyn Pusztai 1997 - Jim Zulevic 1998- Rachel Hamilton, T.J. Jagodowski, Jane Lynch, Susan Messing, Jeff Richmond, Tami Sagher, Rich Talarico, Stephanie Weir 1999 - Ed Furman Beth Kligerman 2000 - Craig Cackowski, Sue Gillan, Angela Shelton 2001 - Debra Downing, Nymia Woods Funk, Martin Garcia, Michael Kennard, David Pompeii 2002 - Brian Boland, Josh Funk, Robin Hammond, Alison Riley, Al Samuels, Abby Sher 2003 - Dan Bakkedahl, Lisa Brooke, Liz Cackowski, Antoine McKay, Jean Villepique 2004 - Brian Gallivan, Maribeth Monroe, Claudia Michelle Wallace 2005 - Matt Craig, Molly Erdman 2006 - Joe Canale, Ithamar Enriquez, Kirk Hanley, Marc Warzecha, Tom Yorton 2007 - Matt Hovde, Brad Morris, Amber Ruffin 2008 - Lauren Ash, Jim Carlson, Shelly Gossman, Anthony Leblanc, Michael Pat O'Brien, Emily Wilson ...2009... -

Toronto Alumni

1973 - Dan Aykroyd, Andrew Alexander, Valri Bromfield, Jayne Eastwood, Gino Empry, Joe Flaherty, Fred Kaz, Brian Doyle Murray, Gilda Radner, Bernard Sahlins, Gerry Salsberg, Sam Shopsowitz, Joyce Sloane 1974 - John Candy, Suzette Couture, Todd Jeffrey Ellis, Piers Gilson, Allan Guttman, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Sheldon Patinkin, Jim Patry, Rosemary Radcliffe, Whitney Smith. 1975 - Carol Cassis, Ben Gordon, Andrea Martin, John Monteith, Sharon Smith, Dave Thomas. '1976 - Peter Aykroyd, Brenda Donohue 1977 - Del Close, Robin Duke, Steven Kampmann, Robin McCullouch, Martin Short, Dave Thompson, Peter Torokvei 1978 - Scott Baker, Sally Cochrane, Cathy Gallant, Len Stuart 1979 - Maggie Butterfield, Don DePollo, Don Dickinson, Melissa Ellis, Derek McGrath, Tony Rosato, Kim Sisson, Mary Charlotte Wilcox 1980 - Tom Baker, Gabe Cohen, Steve Ehrlick, John Hemphill, Kathleen Laskey, Denise Pidgeon, Wendy Slutsky 1981 - Ken Innes, Jerrold Karch, Deborah Kimmett 1982 - Michael J. Gellman, Don Lake 1983 - Donald Adams, Bob Derkach, June Graham, Bruce hunter, Ron James, Madelyn Keane, Debra McGrath, Lyn Okkerse, Bruce Pirrie, Jane Schoettle, Blaine Slekirk, Adrian Truss 1984 - Sandra Balcovske, Karen Poce 1985 - Dana Andersen, Bob Bainborough, Kevin Frank, Linda Kash, Dorothy Tenute 1986 - David Hubard, Jeff Michalski, Mike Myers, Deborah Theaker, Mark Wilson 1987 - Tamar Malic, Ryan Stiles, Audrey Webb 1988 - Neil Crone, Wendy Hopkins, Lindsay Leese, Colin Mochrie, Alana Shields, Tim Sims 2012-jim carrey 1989 - Patrick McKenna 1990 - Kathryn Greenwood, Karen hines, Gary Pearson, Ed Sahely 1991 - Christopher Earle, Nick Johne, Tara Charendoff-Strong, Jenny Parsons, Judith Scott, Peter Sherk, Brian Smith

Theatres

• The Second City Cleveland (closed)
• The Second City Chicago
• The Second City Toronto
• The Second City Detroit (closed)
• The Second City Las Vegas (closed)
• The Second City Los Angeles

Notable alumni of the Second City

Main article: List of alumni of the Second City

See also

• Improvisational theatre
• Theatre in Chicago

External links

• The Second City
• The Second City Toronto
• Audio interview with Anne Libera, author of The Second City Almanac of Improvisation, on The Sound of Young America
• "StensonsNewDigs" blog review of the "Benefit of Laughter" show and SCTV reunion and after-party
• "Pye in the Face" blog review of the "Benefit of Laughter" show and SCTV reunion and after party