The Second City invites current students and graduates of the Training Center to submit proposals to produce shows in Donny's Skybox Theater. Shows may be scripted or improvised. The person submitting the proposal should have a significant role in the production, such as actor, director, writer or producer.
In the listed dates, please pay close attention to what prerequisite is listed for a given time slot. On your proposal, apply not only for dates that work for your cast & crew's schedules, but for time slots appropriate to the show. See below for futher specifics by day & time slot.
Proposals generally will be accepted every two months. Updated information about available slots and proposal deadlines will be posted here and emailed to the Training Centers lists. To be sure you receive these notifications, sign up for the Second City Training Center student email list here. A new e-mail message will open, and you can just hit send.
The Training Center will retain an initial portion of the box office receipts as a guaranteed minimum as indicated below. The net receipts are then split 50/50 between the Training Center and the show's producer(s). Note, for double bills, each producer will receive 25% of the net. Any transaction service fees, such as Hot Tix and credit card fees, will be deducted from the gross receipts.
– Friday & Saturday, 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30 PM – TC retains first $250/show
Thursday 10:30, Friday Midnight, Saturday Midnight, Sunday 8:00 PM – TC retains first $200/show
Base ticket prices are as follows:
- Friday & Saturdays 7:30, 9:00 and 10:30 PM (Friday-Saturday Prime-Time) and Sunday 8:00 PM - $10-13 General Admission; $8-$10 Students; $5-$6 Training Center Students
- Thursday 10:30, Friday Midnight, Saturday Midnight - $10 General Admission; $8 Students; $5 Training Center Students
The Training Center will provide:
- Use of the Skybox Theater and classroom for performances
- Light and Sound systems
- Piano
- Technical Director to run lights and sound for performances
- Box Office Service
- Bar Service
- House Manager
- Promotional support including newspaper listings, broadcast emails, in-house postings and website exposure/sales
Productions that are scheduled for a single bill will be provided with up to 2 hours of technical rehearsal time and productions on a shared bill will receive up to 1-1/2 hours of technical rehearsal time each. Due to the number of different productions that open each month, we cannot guarantee that tech rehearsals will be scheduled the week of opening. Productions will be accountable to pay their assigned stage manager directly at or before the actual technical rehearsal.
General considerations and requirements for each day & time slot:
- Thursday 10:30pm – For current students & Improv program graduates only, usually a shared bill. Individual show lengths from 25-35 minutes. May be improvised or scripted.
- Friday Prime-Time (7:30, 9:00, 10:30pm) – For Writing & Conservatory graduates only, usually single bills. Show length 45-55 minutes. May be improvised or scripted. Recent graduates looking to put up new material and further develop as an ensemble should apply for Fridays.
- Saturday 7:30pm – For Writing & Conservatory graduates only, usually single bills. Show length 45-55 minutes. May be improvised or scripted. This slot is reserved for established shows/groups with long performance histories and a solid audience base, as well as for special guests of the Training Center.
- Saturday 9pm – Generally no longer available for rentals, these slots are reserved for Training Center productions such as Outreach shows & House Ensembles.
- Saturday 10:30pm – For Writing & Conservatory graduates only, usually single bills. Show length 45-55 minutes. May be improvised or scripted. Intended for established ensembles creating new productions and new ensembles comprised of experienced individuals.
- Friday/Saturday Midnight – For any current student or program graduates, usually single bills. Show length 45 minutes. May be improvised or scripted. Intended for more experimental or off-beat content.
- Sundays 8pm – For Writing & Conservatory graduates only, usually shared bills. Show length 25-35 minutes. Must be improvised. In some cases, established improv ensembles will play with a musical House Ensemble. In others, entirely Training Center-produced improv ensembles will share a run.
Proposals are evaluated on the following criteria:
- Clarity of proposal – The goal/s of the production and intended execution shouldn’t leave major questions unanswered, even if the production isn’t fully created yet. For example, if your show is geared toward political satire but the point-of-view of the satire and subject matter isn’t clear, it is difficult to gauge the merits of one piece of political satire against another. Additionally, the more fully fleshed out your artistic team is, the more weight your proposal will have. Have a director or have a really good reason why you are choosing not to work with a director.
- Appropriate fit to requested time slot/s – Take care that your production fits any experience prerequisites as listed by each individual time slot. Current students and Improv Program graduates may only propose for Thursday 10:30 or weeekend midnight shows.
- Complete Cast & Crew Information – All proposals should list all personnel, including cast, musical director (if applicable) and director (required.) If you plan to conduct auditions, please indicate this as well.
- Originality – What makes your point-of-view unique? Is there anything stylistically you’re attempting that you haven’t seen before? Are you experimenting with a new process? Donny’s Skybox is designed to be an incubator for new work. Shows developing new ideas for the first time at Donny’s Skybox are more likely to be chosen than shows simply looking for the next rental opportunity.
- Root in Second City training – How are you expanding upon the ideas you learned/are learning in your classes? Productions that draw on The Second City’s tradition of ensemble, political and social satire, and comedy that comes out of character and relationship are given preference.
- Experience – Have you put up productions other places? What other training or performance experience do your ensemble members have?
- Flexibility – Strong preferences are appreciated, but please also indicate if your show’s length can vary or if you are available for any time slots outside your primary choice's.
- Connection to Audience – Who is your target audience and how do you intend to reach them?
Skybox Proposal Time Slots Winter/Spring 2013
Thursday at 10:30pm
- April 25 - May 3 (6 weeks)
- June 6 - July 11 (6 weeks)
- July 18 - August 15 (5 weeks)
Friday
7:30pm:
- May 31 - June 21 (4 weeks)
- July - August 16 (4 weeks)
9pm:
- May 31 - June 21 (4 weeks)
- July 26 - August 16 (4 weeks)
12am:
- May 10 - June 7 (5 weeks)
- June 14 - July 12 (5 weeks)
- July 19 - August 16 (5 weeks)
Saturday:
7:30pm:
- July 27 - August 17 (4 weeks)
9pm:
- July 27 - August 17 (4 weeks)
10:30pm:
- May 11 - June 22 (7 weeks)
- July 27 - August 17 (4 weeks)
12am
- May 11 – June 8 (5 weeks)
- June 15 - July 13 (5 weeks)
- July 20 - August 17 (5 weeks)
de Maat Studio Theater
Thursday at 10:30pm
- April 4 – May 9 (6 weeks)
- May 16 – June 20 (6 weeks)
- July 11 – August 15 (6 weeks)
Friday:
9pm
- May 3 – May 31 (5 weeks)
10:30pm:
- May 3 – May 31 (5 weeks)
The Proposal Deadline for shows is Sunday, March 10 at 8pm.
You may apply electronically by filling out our online proposal form.
Further questions should be directed to Skybox Manager, Jay MacIntosh.
