WGN Interviews Anne Libera On The Second City and Columbia College's New Comedy Studies Bachelor's Degree

Anne Libera, The Director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College and Author of The Second City Almanac of Improvisation, talks with WGN's Brian Noonan about Columbia College and The Second City's latest collaboration: a Bachelor's Degree in Comedy Studies.

Listen to the WGN Interview

Read CJ Toledano's personal Comedy Studies experience.

Click here for more information on Comedy Studies.

Click here for information on Spring and Summer Camps and Classes.

Join Us for a Comedy Mixer

On Thurs, February 28, learn to have more fun in group settings using improvisation with Bela Gandhi from Smart Dating Academy and Jeff Gandy from The Second City Training Center.

Workshop at The Second City Training Center (4th Floor of Piper's Alley) - 5:30-7:00

Cocktails and Networking at The Second City e.t.c. (2nd Floor of Piper's Alley) - 7:00-8:00

Watch The Second City e.t.c.'s hilarious Jeff Award-Winning show "We're All in This Room Together" - 8:00-10:30p

Tickets are $35.00 and can be reserved at www.secondcity.com. Select "A Comedy Mixer" under "Tell us how many tickets you'd like." You can also call The Second City Box Office at 312-337-3992. Tickets include the workshop, one cocktail at The Second City e.t.c. and a show ticket.

Dave Thomas is Coming to Chicago's Training Center

Emmy Award winning writer, comedian, actor, producer and director Dave Thomas will be in the Training Center October 24-26 leading workshops and participating in our Writer's Salon. On October 24 & 25 Dave will be leading two days of How to Sell Your Comedy and Make Money. In this wide-ranging and interactive workshop he will take ideas provided by our TC students and show you how to take a comedy concept and work it up into a pitch. Students may enroll in either or both days of the workshop. Click here for more information.

On October 26 Dave will be our guest in the Writer's Salon series where you can ask questions and hear about his experiences working in a variety of entertainment media. Don't miss out on these opportunities to learn from a comedy legend! Click here to reserve tickets.

CPS Strike Camps are Still in Session

CPS Strike Camps are still in session. Those who were registered for the previous week are still registered to continue this week unless we are notified that they will not be returning. Students are encouraged to sign up for the waitlist as some spaces may become available. Camps run from 10am through 3:30pm. Please call the Training Center is you have any questions 312-664-3959.

Second City Day Camp During CPS Strike

Ages 8-14
10:00am-3:30pm

As a special offer to assist parents with child care, The Second City Training Center will be offering a free CPS Strike Camp. Students will spend the morning learning Improv games and exercises and the afternoons studying Sketch comedy. Plus while they are in the building, they’ll get the opportunity to see a family friendly Second City show!

Registration is free but space is limited and on a first come first serve basis. Lunch is not included but a supervised break will be provided between 12:30-1:00pm. Attending students should bring a sack lunch as students will not be allowed to leave the building during the break.

Register here at www.secondcity.com/kids

Check out WGN's Thursday feature and this article from the Huffington Post on our Day Camps during the Chicago Teachers Union Strike.

Jane Lynch Teaches Smith College Grads An Important Lesson She Learned at The Second City

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:

The Second City Announces Auditions for New Resident Teen Troupe

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.

RedEye Interviews Second City Alum, Maribeth Monroe, About Her Experience On "Workaholics"

If you haven't seen "Workaholics" yet, you are missing Maribeth Monroe playing the ice-cold boss of three friends who work together as telemarketers from 9 to 5 and live together from 5 to 9. In reality, the three friends are Anders Holm, Blake Anderson, and Adam Devine, alumni of The Second City Training Center. Maribeth talks with the RedEye about her part in "Workaholics" and how Anders saw her on The Second City's Mainstage when he was a student in Chicago's Conservatory. Read the whole interview.

For more information on classes and summer camps, see our class catalog.

Former Student, Rachel Bertsche, Recommends Second City Classes In Her New Book

In a recent interview regarding her quest to meet 52 potential friends in a year, Rachel Bertsche found that taking classes with The Second City was a great way to do so because, "[T]here is a consistency there." To read more about her recently published book, MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search For A New Best Friend and The Second City Training Center, see the full article here.

Second City Alum, Keegan-Michael Key, Stars with Jordan Peele in Comedy Central's "Key and Peele" Sketch Series

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele make their debut on Tuesday, January 31 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. Key was a member of Second City Detroit's mainstage cast as well as the Second City Chicago's e.t.c. theatre, where he wrote and performed shows "Holy War, Batman!" and "Curious George Goes to War" for which he won several Joseph Jefferson Awards (which honor excellence in Chicago theater). Read the whole release here.

Check out Keegan-Michael Key's sketch informing potential students of how cool Second City Training Center classes are here (Not Safe for Work):