Training Center Overview – Chicago

It depends what you’d like to do. The Improvisation Program is a great jumping off point. We also have Improv for Anxiety, Public Speaking and Acting as great first options. Or if you’re looking to go the writing route, we have the Writing or Stand Up Programs. If you have completed a full year of improv training (equivalent to our Improv Program) from another training centre and you have completed a post secondary acting course, then you are eligible to submit for our Conservatory Program. If you need any help deciding which classes to take, just give us a call at 416-343-0011. We will always be happy to chat with you about your interests and goals and figure out the best place for you to begin.

While both of these core programs use similar improvisational techniques derived from the teachings of Viola Spolin, the focus for the performer is different. In the Improv program, we teach you how to work, play & perform without a script. In the Acting program, we show you how to use those improv skills to be a better, more present actor. Later levels of the Acting program also incorporate scripts and memorized text including scenes from the Second City Archives.

Only some advanced programs like the Sketch Conservatory require auditions, though some specialized classes and workshops may have prerequisites.

Because the Training Centre itself is not an accredited institution of higher learning, just an awesome professional training center, students are generally ineligible for college credit. We also cannot file the paperwork for international students to obtain student visas. However, if you are currently enrolled in college, we have this amazing program called Comedy Studies which is an accredited college program that we run in Chicago in partnership with Columbia College. This is a semester-long study in comedy for which students do receive college credit

We offer classes in our Kids and Teens Program for students ages 4-18. Students must be at least 19 to attend classes in our adult programs or at least a high school graduate, but there is no upper age limit. Even Betty White could come take a class (although we know she doesn’t need it)!

A Welcome email with your room and teacher assignment will be sent to you withing 24 hours of your first class.

We require payment at the time of registration in order to hold your spot in the class. Tuition is non-refundable and non-transferable. We accept Mastercard, Visa, Amex, cash, or cheque. PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE! Pay for your class in installments. Register online and set up your own payment plan, or inquire with the office.

Yes! You can find more information here.

Tuition fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable. If you have a conflict with your schedule, please contact our Customer Service team as soon as possible to see if any arrangements can be made. Transfers may be subject to a $25 transfer fee.

We have lots of classes, and sometimes we have multiple sections of the same class running at the same time. In those cases we add various words to the class names so you know which class you belong to. If you are continuing to the next level of a program on the same day and time, please enroll in the same word group.

If you have to miss a class, please reach out to our Customer Service team for options. We do not offer scheduled makeup classes but will assist you as best we can. Make sure to contact your instructor for any material you may have missed. Try to get to every class, so that you don’t miss class content, and can advance to the next level of your program!

Sometimes a student may wish or need to take time off from The Training Centre due to personal reasons. Should this occur, please contact The Training Centre staff immediately. Please be informed that when you return, the Training Centre will place you at its discretion. Students who leave during the Conservatory Program may be asked to re-audition. Returning students must pay the tuition rate that is applicable to the time of rejoining The Training Centre. Any student returning after more than one (1) year of absence is required to rejoin the program at a level determined by The Training Centre.

It takes a great deal of training and experience to become a member of our professional company. Most of the resident actors have trained and performed for a number of years before being hired by The Second City. Although many of the resident company actors are graduates of The Training Centre, completion of any program does not guarantee employment with the company.

The most direct answer is the Conservatory, our cornerstone training program designed to give you first-hand experience in the Second City method. It caters to the aspiring professional, and it qualifies you to audition for our house teams and other advanced programs. Admission is by audition only and requires some previous experience, so you may need to start with training in our Improvisation program. However, great Second City actors also have to be able to perform scripted material and create believable characters on stage (try our Acting program), and on the resident stages they write their own material (try our Comedy Writing program). And they all have to be comfortable with music and singing (we have a variety of music classes!). These programs can be great preparation for the Conservatory, but students also frequently enroll in them after graduation from the Conservatory to round out their skills and deepen the understanding of their craft. The bottom line is all of the programs here will give you practical experience that will make you a creative powerhouse.