Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

BOB CURRY FELLOWSHIP SCHOLARSHIP SHOWS & FESTIVALS CONTACT & MORE INFO The Second City is an open, inclusive workplace and welcomes everyone to bring along with them diverse life experiences,…


The Second City is an open, inclusive workplace and welcomes everyone to bring along with them diverse life experiences, including every permutation of economic and cultural backgrounds, orientation, ethnicity, and points of view. We are committed to building an equitable and thriving environment for BIPOC, Latinx, APIMEDA, and LGBTQIA+ communities, persons with disabilities, and all who may otherwise be marginalized or underrepresented in our business and around our community.

Bob Curry Fellowship

This ten-week master program offers up to 16 fellowships to qualifying actors and improvisers from diverse multicultural backgrounds to train and study at The Second City Chicago. Taught by Second City’s top professional instructors and directors, this rigorous fellowship is designed for serious minded talent seeking a career in sketch comedy. The highly competitive program is tuition-free and awarded to exceptional talent selected by audition and adjudicated by Second City directors and producers. The Bob Curry Fellowship’s culminating showcase is presented to industry execs, and Second City producers and directors.

Since the inaugural launch in 2014, over 50% of the graduating fellows have been hired by various Second City divisions, including The Second City Touring Company, Resident Stage Ensembles, Theatricals and cruise ship companies, and as teachers for The Second City Training Center.

Who was Bob Curry?

Bob Curry was Joseph Jefferson Award-winning actor and director and the first African-American to join The Second City’s resident company. A former workshop student, he joined the Mainstage cast in 1966 before joining what evolved into the first-ever Touring Company.

Second City launched the Bob Curry Fellowship program in 2014 to honor Curry’s trailblazing contributions and encourage diverse voices to pursue careers in comedy at Second City and beyond.

Qualifications
The Bob Curry Fellowship program is specifically seeking talent/applicants including, but not limited to, those who identify as any of the following: Asian Pacific, Subcontinent Asian, African American, Hispanic, Native American, Middle Eastern.


Bob Curry Audition Tips

Are you an actor or improviser who recently submitted for an audition slot for the Bob Curry Fellowship? Listen to this podcast to get prepared and hear what the Fellowship is all about!

DIVERSITY PARTNERS

A few of our past & present partners:
After School Matters
United States Embassy
Norway & Latvia
Urban Prep Academy
YMCA Black and Latino Achievers
NBC Universal
Big Brothers Club
Columbia College
University of Chicago
Northwestern University
A Long Walk Home
DePaul University