Legendary Chicago comedy institution The Second City is excited to announce auditions for the 4th Annual Victor Wong Fellowship, a program focused on developing the next generation of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) comedic talent.
Named for The Second City’s first Asian American performer and funded by Peng Zhao, CEO of Citadel Securities, the Victor Wong fellowship will support the training and development of a cohort of actors and music directors.
In addition to a 12-week, tuition-free master program in improvisational comedy taught by The Second City’s top professional instructors and directors, the fellows will also have access to the theater’s executive creative team and alumni, including AAPI mentors. Following the training, the fellows will present a mix of their original comedy, improvisational games, and classic scenes from The Second City archives in a showcase event on The Second City’s e.t.c. stage.
In the lead-up to auditions, The Second City Training Center will be hosting informational sessions, an improv jam for AAPI performers and a practical clinic to work on the solo piece component of the audition process for interested actors.
Key dates:
The Music Director Fellows will be part of the ensemble and will receive additional instruction in comedic concepts. They will work with the cast on two additional shows during the program. The Victor Wong Fellowship then enters a rehearsal process, culminating in a sketch show running on Tuesday nights in May on a Second City stage. Music Director Fellows may be asked to music direct some or all of the show and will be part of its music and sound design creation. The end goal is to give the musician an opportunity to learn the intricacies of being a Comedic Music Director, to introduce them to the teams that hire these talents, and to give them skills that can open doors into other markets.
Successful candidates will be great pianists, or keyboardists with other unique and demonstrable live music and technical skills. Auditioners will be asked to play three, one minute contrasting pieces of music on the piano and prompted through improvised theatrical underscoring.
Interested candidates will please submit a music and/or theatrical resume to Amanda Murphy at amurphy@secondcity.com. Please list any music software you are familiar with, or links which show any music creation you’ve participated in.
Please use the subject line: VWF MD AUDITIONS
About Victor Wong
California native Victor Wong (1927-2001), moved to Chicago in the 1950s to study theology at the University of Chicago before becoming involved with The Second City. Mr. Wong joined The Second City at the encouragement of his close friend and famed theater academic, Viola Spolin. A fixture in the San Francisco Beat Scene of the 1950s and ’60s alongside Jack Kerouc and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Mr. Wong’s acting credits included notable roles in the films “The Joy Luck Club,” “The Last Emperor,” “Big Trouble in Little China,” “The Three Ninjas” series, and “The Golden Child.”