Mainstage Cast Announced for 103rd Revue

The Second City Mainstage is proud to announce the cast for our 103rd Mainstage Revue.

Returning ensemble members Chelsea Devantez, John Hartman, Emily Walker and
Craig Taylor (Stage Manager) will be joined by Paul Jurewicz, Daniel Strauss, Christine Tawfik and Jacob Shuda (Musical Director). Jeff Award Winning director Ryan Bernier returns to direct his third resident company revue.

The Second City Chicago Training Center to Double its Pipers Alley Footprint

The Second City, Inc. announced today the signing of a lease with Old Town Development Associates, L.L.C., to expand into additional space at Pipers Alley (230 W. North Avenue) formerly occupied by the four-screen AMC movie theater. The new space will allow The Second City Training Center, the largest school of comedy in the world, to add an array of student-centered facilities including new classrooms, two student theaters, a screening room, a student resource center, a student lounge and bar, two large special events spaces and additional space for the companies’ growing businesses. The new lease adds 25,000 square feet to The Second City Training Center's current 20,300 square feet of space essentially doubling the school's current footprint. In total, The Second City will occupy nearly 75,000 square feet in Chicago's Old Town.

Named one of “The 25 Best Drama Schools in 2014” alongside Yale School of Drama, The Juilliard School and Carnegie Mellon University by The Hollywood Reporter, The Second City continues to develop an entirely unique way of creating and performing comedy. Last month, The Second City Training Center announced the launch of its TV, Film and Digital Program, under the direction of Jack C. Newell.  New classrooms will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology including voiceover studios, on-camera training studios and editing suites to accommodate the Digital Program launch.

"We are very excited to enhance our students' experience with the development of this new space,” says Andrew Alexander, CEO and Executive Producer of The Second City, Inc. “This will give the opportunity for more student performances in front of audiences, resources to enhance their education, places to work and collaborate, and program-specific materials and technology in classrooms. For our team, it's taking what's already a fantastic training institution and heightening it to the best experience possible for our students."

The second-floor space at Pipers Alley first opened as a movie theater in 1991, and has been unoccupied since AMC went dark on May 26, 2011. The Training Center’s multi-million-dollar build-out begins immediately, with physical enhancements to include opening up the bricked-over 22-foot high window arches overlooking North Avenue and Wells Street.  The space is expected to be completed and serving students by spring of 2015.

Long in the works, the expansion is in response to The Training Center’s desire to launch new and progressive programming while maintaining the high teacher to student ratio and enhancing the overall student experience. With the acquisition of the AMC space, the Second City Training Center can keep its educational programming under one roof – close to its history and next to its professional theaters. Students on a professional track can get even more stage time, and with the growth of the overall student body, additional theaters can accommodate end of term graduation performances. The new Student Resource Center will give students an actual on-site workspace.

"For years we've been listening to student feedback and building this plan to fulfill their requests,” says Kerry Sheehan, President of the Second City Training Centers & Education Programs. “Not only will we be able to better accommodate our wait lists in core programs – such as improvisation and writing – but our newer initiatives into digital media and advanced classes for the professionally tracked student will have room to grow and thrive."

The Second City is the leading brand in improv-based sketch comedy. With theaters and training centers in Chicago, Toronto and Hollywood, 11 full-time touring ensembles, thriving corporate communications and theatricals divisions as well as television and film operations, The Second City has been called "A Comedy Empire" by The New York Times. The Second City Training Center has a current student body of 5,000 per week and is the largest school of comedy in the world.

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More from the Chicago Tribune.

The Second City Cocktail Contest!

The Second City is remodeling our Toronto bar, and we want our patrons to help us concoct a couple of tasty new cocktails to add to our bar menu.

Put your mixology skills to the test for your chance to win two free tickets to a Second City show, plus $25 gift card, bragging rights, and the chance to see your cocktail concoction featured on our bar menu!

HERE'S THE SCOOP
We’ve suggested two featured ingredients. All you have to do is visit our Facebook page, and add a comment with:

1) A third featured ingredient
2) Directions on how to prepare or serve your creation **
3) An original name for your cocktail creation!

** Keep in mind: our bar functions at a very fast pace and complicated preparation steps slow down our service. So no flames, muddling or hoop jumping!

It’s that simple! Check our Facebook or Twitter feed on Friday afternoon to see if your concoction has been chosen as the winner of our summer cocktail contest!

George Morrison, Compass Player Alum, Dies at 86

The Second City is saddened by the death of Compass Players director and esteemed acting teacher, George Morrison at the age of 86. In addition to being a director with the Compass Players, George also founded the New Actors Workshop with fellow Compass Players Mike Nichols and Second City co-founder Paul Sills in 1988.

Our thoughts are with his friends and family. Click here to learn more about the life of George Morrison.

SC Alums Sweep Up Emmy Nominations

Congrats to all of our TourCo and SC resident stage alums that received Emmy Nominations last night!

• Amy Poehler
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus
• Stephen Colbert
• Tina Fey
• Tom Purcell
• Paul Dinello
• Keegan Michael Key
• Rebecca Drysdale
• Rich Talarico
• Jane Lynch
• Joshua Funk
• Ian Roberts

Student Jacob Williams returns to Nick Cannon's Wild N Out!

After taking our 'Acting on Camera' class and frequenting our open mics, jams and drop-ins, Jacob Williams returns as a cast member on the MTV2 improv show Wild N Out on Wednesdays at 10pm this summer. Hosted by Nick Cannon with guest stars each week, episodes will be available to stream on the show's website the day after they air.

Say hi to Jacob on Twitter and check out the show here

The Second City Remembers Paul Mazursky

It is with great sadness that The Second City learned of the passing of film director, screenwriter, actor and Second City alum Paul Mazursky in Los Angeles last night. Mazursky earned an Oscar nomination for directing his first film "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" in 1969. Other films he wrote and directed include the Oscar winning "Harry and Tonto," "An Unmarried Women" which was nominated for Best Picture and "Down and Out in Beverly Hills." Paul Mazursky performed with The Second City in 1961 in a long running engagement at the Ivar Theatre in Los Angeles. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.