Anne Libera

Artistic Consultant

Anne Libera is Director of Comedy Studies at The Second City She is an Associate Professor at Columbia College Chicago where she created and coordinates the Comedy Writing and Performance BA. She served as the Executive Artistic Director of The Second City Training Centers from 2001 to 2009. Directing credits include Stephen Colbert's one man show Describing a Circle, The Madness of Curious George, Computer Chips and Salsa, and The Second City Goes to War as well as Second City touring productions all over the world. Her book The Second City Almanac of Improvisation is published by Northwestern University Press. She served as Director of Improv Pedagogy for the Second Science Project (Second City and UC Chicago CDR) which married the studies of improvisation and behavioral science. The long list of her former students who have gone on to success in improvisation and comedy includes (just to name a few): Ashley Nicole Black, Aidy Bryant, Kay Cannon, Chelsea Devantez, Jenny Hagel, Jordan Peele, Amy Poehler, Kristen Schaal, and Steven Yeun. Anne has presented on topics in improvisation and comedy at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Chicago Ideas Week, Twitter, Code Conference, and guest lectured at the Stanford Business School.