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Teacher
About The Second City: As the world’s foremost improvisational and sketch comedy theater, The Second City has been delighting audiences and producing award-winning entertainment for more than 50 years. The Second City Training Center is the largest school of improvisation and sketch comedy in the world. The list of alumni that have graced our stages and training centers is a staggering who’s-who of North America’s biggest entertainers. We also have a corporate services arm - Second City Works - serving over 600 clients each year with custom training & entertainment.
About this Position: The Training Center is seeking new teachers to deliver existing curriculum to students in a variety of our core areas of study including: Improvisation, Stand-up Comedy, Sketch Writing, Writing for Film & Television, Acting and Youth & Teen classes. THIS IS NOT A FULL-TIME ENGAGEMENT. Classes are assigned based on student demand for programming and each teacher’s workload can vary significantly from term-to-term. Class assignments are not guaranteed. The majority of our classes run on weekday evenings and on weekends during the day. The Training Center calendar year is divided into 6 two-month Terms with most classes meeting for 2-3 hours per week over a 7-week span, though New York offerings will also include intensives, drop-ins and standalone master classes.
Reports to: New York Training Center Artistic Director
The ideal candidate will:
- be passionate about comedy and familiar with The Second City’s creative process
- be curious and committed to ongoing learning & development of their teaching approach and pedagogy
- foster a safe, supportive, inclusive learning environment for students at all stages of their development
- have 3+ years of public performance or professional work experience in the creative discipline they would like to teach
- have of 3+ years of teaching/instructional experience in any setting
- have good general availability for work on evenings (6-11pm) & weekends (10am-6pm) when the bulk of our classes take place
If you do not meet all of the above suggested criteria but are confident that you would bring equivalently valuable experience or insight to the Training Center, please apply!
Additionally, we enthusiastically encourage applicants who are:
- specialists in one or more of the following disciplines: Stand-up, Writing for film & television, Acting, Advanced level Improvisation & Sketch creation, working with Youth & Teens
- women & non-binary people, persons with disabilities, BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ talent and other members of traditionally underrepresented communities in the comedy industry
- alumni of programs like The Second City’s Bob Curry and Victor Wong Fellowships and Directing Program
- active & former performers from The Second City’s resident, touring and theatrical companies
- graduates of a professional-level improv or comedy training program (i.e. The Second City Conservatory program; The Second City Film School; university/college theater degree)
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver curriculum/programming to the best of your ability in a way that is consistent with the style and approach of The Second City
- Provide any relevant feedback about students, class experience and syllabi to the Artistic Directors and Student Success Team
- Maintain student attendance lists and complete course evaluations
- Participate in regular paid faculty meetings and skill uptraining/professional development sessions as requested by the Artistic Directors
- Attend / host student performances associated with any assigned classes
- Positively represent Second City to the public and in social media
- Submit and maintain current availability information in a timely manner
- Be responsive to communication and feedback
Compensation
Teaching rate of pay begins at $30-45 USD/hr.
Compensation is based on part-time hourly employment and will not exceed 30 hours per week.
We are an open, inclusive workplace and welcome applicants who bring along with them diverse life experiences, including every permutation of economic and cultural backgrounds, orientation, ethnicity and points of view. We strive to continue our efforts to work with people who may otherwise be marginalized or underrepresented in our business and around our local community.
The Second City follows CDC guidelines and recommendations regarding safety measures to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic. To work at The Second City you must show proof of being fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Applicants with medical or religious exemptions will be considered.
