The Second City Partners with The Onion to Offer New Writing Program

The Second City and The Onion, two of America's finest comedic institutions, have partnered to present a completely new writing program at The Second City Training Center's Chicago campus (1608 N. Wells, 4th Floor of Piper's Alley).

The first course offering, "Basic Writing with The Onion," a one-of-a-kind writing course taught by founding editor of The Onion, Scott Dikkers, which outlines The Onion's unique system of generating comedy ideas and stories, sold out in 30 minutes.

"The assets required of writers at The Second City and The Onion are very compatible - they need to be smart, funny and satirical," states Andrew Alexander, CEO/Executive Producer of The Second City. "While our writers take these assets and use improvisation as a tool to create content, The Onion has crafted their own unique system to produce ideas and stories. This system is a perfect complement to the core curriculum of our writing program."

"Aside from being America's Finest News Source, The Onion is the most literate, most entertaining, most influential and most profitable publication in the United States of America, including Texas," said Steve Hannah, CEO of The Onion. "Partnering with the Second City, we will--for the first time in recorded history--share the mysterious creative secrets that have made The Onion a three-time Nobel Prize winner.

"Plus, upon completion of the course, you will be much smarter, much cooler, more attractive to members of the opposite sex and immensely more interesting at parties. That alone is worth the price of tuition."

Additional levels will be added to this writing program including Intermediate and Advanced writing as well as a Master Class. The next term at The Second City Training Center is scheduled for June 24 - August 25. Early registration begins Friday, May 24, 2013. Visit www.SecondCity.com for more information.

The Onion
Since its humble beginnings as a Madison, WI student-run newspaper in the late-'80s, The Onion has become the America's most recognizable and prominent source of satirical commentary. With daily coverage of politics, technology, sports, business, entertainment and more, theonion.com welcomes over 8 million unique monthly visitors.

The Second City
The Second City is the leading brand in improv-based sketch comedy. With theatres in Chicago and Toronto, Training Centers in those cities as well as 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.

"Let Them Eat Chaos" Wins Jeff Recommendations and Rave Reviews

The new show at The Second City's Mainstage Theater, "Let Them Eat Chaos" opened to rave reviews from the critics and earned a prestigious Jeff Recommendation.

Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune gives "Let Them Eat Chaos" three stars (out of four) and says, "...very funny...This cast is excellent." Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun Times Recommends this production and states, "stylistic experimentation...infused with music and projections and literary conceits."

The designation of "Jeff Recommended" is given to a production when, after the opening night of its run, at least ONE ELEMENT of the show was deemed excellent by the opening night judges of the Joseph Jefferson Committee. The entire production is then eligible for nomination for awards at the end of the season.

Tickets are on sale now for "Let Them Eat Chaos" and available online. Click here for more information about the show.

Chicago Improv Festival Starts Tonight!

Celebrating their 15th anniversary, this year's Festival is their largest yet with more than 150 teams in over 90 shows on 20 different stages. The Second City is excited to host 3 great shows from the Chicago Improv Festival starting this week.

Tuesday, April 2, 8pm
Headliners: Lucas Neff & Craig Cackowski
Opening Act - Virgin Daiquiri
Second City e.t.c stage
Tickets: $20
GET TICKETS

Wednesday, April 3, 8pm
Headliners: Scott Adsit & Jet Eveleth
Opening Act - Cook County Social Club
Second City e.t.c. stage
Tickets: $20
GET TICKETS

Sunday, April 7, 8pm
Headliners: 30 Rock show with Scott Adsitt, John Lutz & Kay Cannon
Opening Act - Improvised Shakespeare Co.
UP Comedy Club
Tickets: $25
GET TICKETS

Tickets to all shows can be purchased by calling 312-337-3392 or online at secondcity.com

Offstage with Chelsea Devantez

One of the perks of being on The Second City Touring Company is travelling all over the country. Chelsea Devantez hates travelling. She says she gets severe panic attacks on flights. But somehow she makes it work. Because she loves being on the road with Second City. She tours for the satisfaction of those two hours spent on stage. And of course, her castmates. "Every single person on my company is just the best. They are all such good people, who are smart, collected and hilarious. I feel really lucky to tour with them," she says. We talked to Chelsea about how she got into comedy, what inspires her and of course, her best friend.

How is performing Improv All-Stars at UP Comedy Club different for you than a Touring Company show?

Well our TourCo shows are 90-percent scripted and we always perform with the same close knit cast, while the All-Stars are completely improvised and the cast is rotating. But some of my favorite improvised pieces ever are in the All-Stars show: a slow, patient 7-minute improv scene and an improvised musical.

Tell us about your new pilot, Stupid Bitch Syndrome.

We just launched it two weeks ago! Here’s the basic pitch: Blue Ivy Carter, daughter of Beyonce and Jay-Z, travels from the future to change the ways of two emotionally destructive, busted best friends in order to save the world. Tawny Newsome, who is on The Second City mainstage, plays Blue Ivy and she's incredible in it. There are dozens of moments in the series that came from our actual lives.

How has going through the Chicago improv world with your best friend helped you succeed?

I've been so lucky to go through the comedy scene with Emily Walker. We met in our level 1 improv class, we did our first job for Second City performing on a cruise ship together and then got touring companies within months and now we are roommates. The business is brutal, sometimes in very subtle ways, but Emily and I keep each other strong; we pick each other up when we are failing and ugly-crying, we are front row when the other is succeeding, we're just always at each other's side. The best blackout I wrote this year happened because I told Emily I had an idea that would never work. So she starts acting it out in front of me, and I'd throw out the lines and she'd walk across the kitchen just trying them on, tinkering with it until it was perfect. Our friendship is insane because as humans in the real world we are opposites, but as comedians we are so similar it’s haunting. Watching tape of us improvising you’ll see us make the exact same joke at the same time, we sigh together, laugh at the same time, we both take the stage like tornados. We have other eerie similarities too.

On your blog, you have a lot of videos of you singing. Tell us about some of the songs you write and perform.

I would give anything to play an instrument. Andy Miara in the comedy studies program said something about being a blue collar comedian in the sense of – make it work, find a way. So I started finding free loops online and borrowing unlicensed stuff and piecing music together on Garage Band.

What are some of your hobbies?

Forcing strangers to move past small talk quickly. Seeing really shitty movies drunk. Reading business books -- I love them, they are self help books without the bullshit. And Zumba, I’m a certified instructor and only slightly ashamed.

What comedians inspire you?

I saw Amy Poehler in a lot of Asssssscat shows when I was in school in New York. That show is what got me into comedy. She is so strong onstage and also really playful. She makes really smart, strong moves but is having so much fun at every moment. Stand-up comedian Maria Bamford is my idol.

When you’re not acting, improvising or writing, what are you doing?

I watch shows like Dexter, Downton Abbey or the Bachelor, just ‘cause they are the ones where my brain turns off, there’s no analyzing of structure or jokes. I'll go dancing with friends, brunches, or skype with friends who are far away like my other bestie Jo Feldman. And I often sit with Emily in the kitchen just bullshitting and covering our nails in glitter.

By Pamela Birchard

Second City CEO Andrew Alexander Talks to The Grid

Check out Andrew Alexander in The Grid talking about pranks and the state of modern comedy. Read it at The Grid.

The Importance of Improv

"Why is this study so important?" this is a question we are asked often at the Training Centre. Whether or not you come to us because you want to be an actor or because you just want to improve your social skills, the importance of improv comes from the philosophy of "Yes and". Everyone fits in here and offers of all kinds are meant to be accepted. It is a happy place where everyone can agree and learn to accept each others offers. As former Second City Chicago Artistic Director Martin De Maat says "Greet everything with 'yes,and...'" "Make statements instead of putting the burden on others with questions." "Stay in the present, as opposed to focusing on the past or future." and "The fun is always on the other side of a yes." People come to The Second City Training Centre to live a more positive lifestyle and we are happy to be a part of it.

The Second City Training Center is Calling Stand-up Comics for April 19th Showcase in Donny's Skybox

Attention all stand-up comics who have ever taken a class (ANY class in ANY program) at The Second City Training Center:

The Second City Training Center is accepting applications to perform at The SCTC Rapid-Fire Stand-Up Showcase.

This one-time event will take place on Friday, April 19th, 2013, at 11pm in the Skybox Theatre. It'll be a short show -- no more than 50 minutes. Tickets will be free.

We are seeking applicants who would like to perform a short set at the show. Set length will likely be 2.5 minutes. (We will also have two headliners -- also SCTC alumni -- who will do 7-minute sets, but they are already booked. You can only apply to do a short set.)

You can apply here. FYI, here's the info that the application form will ask you for:

• Your first and last name
• Your stage name if it is different
• One-paragraph performer's bio and/or one-paragraph description of what you've done stand-up wise
• One-paragraph description of classes/programs you've taken at the SCTC
• (Optional) Link to a video of you doing stand-up. Even if the production quality is not high, if you've got decent video, send it so we can see you doing stand-up.

We are accepting applications now, and will stop accepting applications at 12 noon on Wednesday, April 10th. Note that we only have a small number of slots available. We will e-mail ALL applicants with our decisions, by 12 noon on Friday, April 12th. If you have questions, please email openmic@secondity.com. Please use subject line "Rapid-Fire Showcase" in your email.