While performing the commencement speech at Smith College, Jane Lynch shared with grads the importance of "Yes and," a fundamental rule of improvisation that she learned at The Second City. See how "Yes and" transformed Jane Lynch's life by watching the whole commencement speech below:
Teen publication, The Mash, invites teen readers to help name the youth company
The Second City is proud to announce auditions for its first resident teen company on June 1 and 2, 2012. Open to 13 to 17 year olds, this company will have a regular weekly performance spot at The Second City. The new teen troupe will be sponsored in part by The Mash, Chicago Tribune's teenage media brand.
Teen Troupe Auditions will be held on Friday, June 1 (4:00 - 6:00pm) and Saturday, June 2, 2012 (10:00am - 5:00pm). Call backs to these auditions will be announced at a later date. Anyone in the age range of 13 - 17 may audition. The audition itself will primarily be made up of improvisation.
"In the past five years we've seen tremendous growth and incredible talent coming out of our youth classes and summer camps," says The Second City's CEO/Executive Producer Andrew Alexander. "It seemed only fitting that we provide more resources to these talented teens and a regular stage to share their unique voices."
Interested teens are invited to email a current picture (head shot if available) and your contact information (full name, age, email address and phone number - or a proper resume) ON THURSDAY, MAY 17 - 20 to: auditions@secondcity.com. Subject line: Teen Troupe. Please note space is limited so we may not be able to accommodate all applicants. A waiting list will be taken.
The Mash - Chicago Tribune's teenage newspaper and journalism program - will help Second City encourage Chicago youth to suggest creative names for the new company. The Chicago-wide contest to name the new company will launch in The Mash newspaper and on TheMash.com on May 17th. The contest is open to teens only, ending June 10th, and prizes include Second City comedy packages, tickets, cash and a congratulatory ad in the newspaper.
"The Mash is thrilled to partner with Second City to help rally Chicago teens around this launch," says Mash General Manager, Maggie Wartik. "There's no better way to empower kids through creative expression than by putting the name itself into their hands, allowing them to be part of the artistic process. Second City's newest venture is especially exciting for us."
The Second City Training Center offers classes, workshops and camps for students ages 4-18, in improv, comedy writing, acting, music improv, physical comedy and video. During the summer months, Second City hosts over 700 teens from all over the world for 2 week camps focusing on sketch and improv. Second City is currently registering for summer camps which will run from June 11-August 31. Call 312-664-3959 for information or online at www.secondcity.com/training/chicago.
"To many, the pressure of jumping on stage and entertaining an audience with improvisation can induce anxiety. But Second City’s new “Improv for Anxiety Boot Camp” is aiming to do the opposite by using humor to treat the condition..."
To read the full article visit The Cloumbia Chronicle.
The first "Improv for Anxiety Boot Camp" session will began April 30 at the Second City comedy club, 1616 N. Wells St.
The Jeff Committee, honoring excellence in Chicago theatres, selected John Hildreth as a nominee in the "Best New Adaptation" category for his work on "Watership Down" at Lifeline Theater. John teaches in the Improv, Writing, and Conservatory programs at The Second City Training Center and is running a specialty class called "Games! Games! Games" starting this Friday. For more information on classes, call 312.664.3959. To see the list of this years nominees, click here
About John Hildreth
John Hildreth is an alumnus of The Second City appearing in three revues at The Second City, Northwest including Casino Evil, three revues at The Second City, e.t.c. including White Water for Chocolate, and directing five consecutive revues for The Second City, Detroit including Generation X-Files. More recently he directed Second City...In Color at Theatre on the Lake and three revues with The Second City's Diversity and Outreach Program including Wii the People. John also recently appeared for The Second City as Roland Burris in Rod Blagojevich Superstar!, in Apparently Heaven Can't Wait: The Best of Jim Zulevic at The Second City, and in Disgruntled Employee Handbook: A Musical.
About The Second City Training Center
Chicago is the world capital of improvisation (improv) and sketch comedy, and The Second City is in the heart of it. For over fifty years The Second City has created a wealth of comedic material from a legendary group of performers. The Training Center follows the traditions developed by these groundbreaking and innovative men and women while encouraging the continued growth and development of the art forms of comedy and improvisation. Today, The Second City Training Center is the largest school of improvisation and sketch comedy in the world.
About the Jeff Awards
The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With 50 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre, the Jeff Awards is committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theatre by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. The Jeff Awards fosters the artistic growth of area theatres and theatre artists and promotes educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theatre community. The Jeff Awards evaluates over 250 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies annually. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non-Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union theatre.
Congratulations to Sean Cusick, the Second City Training Center Faculty Member of the Week! Sean teaches improv and sketch with The Second City and has directed The Second City National Touring Company. He's created, performed and directed numerous sketch and improv shows in Chicago, including the critically acclaimed, "Best Church of God," and "Urlakis and Cusick." As a teacher, he has taught at The Second City, the Annoyance Theater, and at Chicago Public Schools as part of the After School Matters program. He's originally from Upstate NY, and graduated from Tufts University. Training Center staff member Andrew Thorp was able to ask Sean a few questions about his new and honorable status.
Congrats on being in the Teacher Spotlight! What do you plan on doing to celebrate this honor?
Thanks! I plan on refreshing my browser every 20 minutes until you post this, and then seeing where it shows up when I Google myself!
What programs do you teach in?
Improv, sketch writing, and occasionally in the Teen/Youth Program.
What's the coolest thing about teaching?
Getting paid to share a passion. I'm lucky enough to spend my work day laughing, and that's something pretty rare.
What's the hardest thing about teaching?
Balancing a class so that each student gets what he or she needs. Every class brings a range of experience, of enthusiasm and of motivation. The differences among the students, and the needs of the class as a whole, are always in the back of my mind.
What is the most important thing a student should know when preparing to take on a class or program?
You get out of it what you put in. If you're here to do something fun - Great! You'll have a lot of fun. If you're here to learn how to do comedy, be prepared to put in the effort.
How do I become famous?
A bolt of lightning. This is the arts - like music, writing, dance or whatever. That means that if you work hard, stay focused and have a flicker of talent, you can make a fine living doing what you love among fantastic people. But if you want to get rich or famous? The best you can do is be ready... Know how to do the work, so IF a bolt of lightning strikes, you can take your chance.
Dr. Katherine McKnight, author of Improvisation in the Classroom, released an article detailing the benefits improvisation has on K-12 students. To learn how improv "sparks imagination," "encourages team building," "promotes intellectual and emotional growth" and more, read her article here.
More about Dr. Katherine McKnight
With 20 years experience, Katie is a nationally recognized expert in adolescent literacy, inclusive classrooms, Common Core State Standards, and integrating technology in the 21st century classroom.
More About Improvisation in the Classroom
The scores of ready-to-use exercises offered in this book can be used to teach a wide variety of subjects—including language arts, math, science, and social studies—as well as to build classroom community and develop cooperative learning skills. All of the lessons are linked to current national standards for the United States and Canada, and have been proven particularly effective with kinesthetic learners and students with attention difficulties. To purchase this book, stop by the Second City Training Center in Chicago (1608 N. Wells Ave – 60614) or buy from Amazon here.
The Second City Training Center is hosting a trivia night fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation this Tuesday, March 27th at 7pm in the ETC. $10 gets you in the door, a hot meal and qualifies you to win some pretty amazing, local prizes. Come show off your smarts!
Modern Imbecile, comprised of Second City Training Center-Chicago alums, is hosting a Q & A and screening of their newest film "Modern Imbecile's Planet World" on April 13th. Join us in welcoming Doug Manley and Kevin M. Brennan back in the building! Find out more about "Modern Imbecile's Planet World" here.
When: April 13th, 2012 – Q & A at 7pm / Screening at 7:30pm
Where: The Second City Training Center Room 305
How: Reserve tickets by emailing Andrew at athorp@secondcity.com or by calling 312.664.3959
Doug and Kevin met while attending the writing program at The Second City Training Center in Chicago. Upon graduation, they formed their own sketch group called The Mantasticks. The Mantasticks went on to tour the country and carve out a bold new path for the underserved audience of young, white, upper middle class males who are into sketch comedy. Modern Imbecile was formed in 2006 when Doug began making funny videos instead of working at his then day job at Chicago post house, Optimus. Doug and Kevin moved to Los Angeles and started hanging out with various celebrities, paying $15 for a cocktail and using phrases like, "We totally get it." and "We're big fans, but it's just not right for us." In the winter of 2010 they ventured into the vast Mojave Desert to begin the 6 day shooting odyssey that became Planet World. The film went on to play Slamdance where it won The Road To Park City Award, The Atlanta Underground Film festival where it won Best Comedy as well as The Austin Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, New Filmmakers Los Angeles and BUTFF in The Netherlands. Currently Doug and Kevin are working on their next feature as well as a TV series based on Planet World. Oh, and they are now paying $16 for a cocktail.
The Second City Training Center will be holding a memorial for our dear friend, coworker, and fellow student, JR Strzelec. Please join us Monday, March 12th at 2pm in the ETC Theatre for refreshments and laughter and to remember JR. Contact Scott Elam at SElam@secondcity.com with any questions.
The Second City Training Center is teaming up with Marc Pfeffer, M.S, and the Panic/Anxiety Recovery Center to offer a "Social Anxiety Bootcamp" set to start on March 10th. For more information and to see a video testimonial, click here.
What is Social Anxiety Bootcamp?
PARC and The Second City teamed up to design a unique solution for people with anxiety disorders.
The Social Anxiety Bootcamp is an innovative, comprehensive, and interactive approach to working with people with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Bootcamp combines psycho-educational groups, psychotherapy, and improvisation for those who are ready to do the work. Together, these services will help you achieve less anxiety, allow for more comfort in everyday social situations, manage uncertainty, and let life unfold.
About Mark Pfeffer, M.S. LMFT
Mark Pfeffer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Illinois and California. He is Director of the Panic/Anxiety Recovery Center in Chicago. PARC is a specialized outpatient program that provides comprehensive treatment for anxiety and related disorders. Mark received his Master's degree in Psychology from Boston University with additional post-graduate work at UCLA. He also served as the Commissioner of Social Services for the City of Santa Monica and is an active clinical member of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) and International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).
Mark has appeared on multiple episodes of the A&E's Emmy® nominated show Hoarders, the Discovery Channel, and the National Geographic Channel. He has been featured and quoted regarding mental health issues in various media outlets including: ABC7 Chicago; CBS2 Chicago; NBC; CLTV Chicago; Chicago Tribune; Pioneer Press, WGCI-FM and Home & Garden magazine. He has also authored numerous publications, and was a recipient of the 2002 "Golden Bell" award from the Mental Health Association of Illinois for an article he co-authored on Panic Disorder.
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