Second City Toronto

Second City Toronto
Name	Second City Toronto
Founded	1973
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genre	Improvisational comedy, sketch comedy
Parent	The Second City

Second City Toronto is a Canadian branch of the American improv and sketch comedy institution founded as part of the The Second City network. It operated as a creative hub in Toronto producing touring companies, television writers, and performers who later joined ensembles associated with Saturday Night Live, SCTV, The Kids in the Hall, Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. radio series), and Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday. The company fostered talent that moved into CBC Television, NBC, Fox, Comedy Central, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe circuit.

History

Second City Toronto began in 1973 as an expansion of The Second City after the success of the original The Second City (Chicago) troupe and the television series SCTV. Early seasons featured performers who later worked on SCTV and Saturday Night Live, linking the company to Canadian cultural exports like Lorne Michaels and institutions such as Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). Over decades, the Toronto company intersected with festivals and venues including the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and tours with companies like The National Theatre of Great Britain and residencies at spaces influenced by producers associated with Mirvish Productions and Shaw Festival. Changes in ownership and venue mirrored shifts in Toronto's live performance ecology involving entities such as Concert Properties and municipal arts policy under the City of Toronto cultural planning initiatives.

Venue and Facilities

The Toronto location staged productions in theatres situated in cultural districts near King Street West and the Entertainment District. Facilities included rehearsal rooms, studio theatres, and classrooms used for improv training; these spaces hosted collaborations with groups like Loose Moose Theatre Company, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and visiting ensembles from The Second City Chicago. The venue's technical crews worked with lighting designers and sound engineers who had credits with companies such as Mirvish Productions and toured with acts associated with Canadian Stage and Propeller Theatre Company. Accessibility upgrades over years responded to standards promoted by organizations like Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act advocates and partnerships with local arts funders including Ontario Arts Council.

Notable Alumni and Ensembles

Alumni lists include performers and writers who proceeded to work on SCTV and Saturday Night Live, and in film and television with credits on The Simpsons, Arrested Development (TV series), The Office (U.S. TV series), and Schitt's Creek. Notable names associated through training or performance have included individuals who later collaborated with Lorne Michaels, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas (actor), Paul Shaffer, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson, Dave Foley, Debra DiGiovanni, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, Jim Carrey, Kenny vs. Spenny, Jennifer Robertson, Daniel Kellison, Norman Jewison, Atom Egoyan, David Cronenberg, Sarah Polley, Ellen Page (now Elliot Page), and others who bridged Canadian and American media industries. Ensembles formed at the Toronto venue toured with troupes affiliated with Second City Detroit and worked on television projects for CTV Television Network and Global Television Network.

Shows and Productions

Productions combined longform improv formats influenced by practitioners at Chicago Improv Institute and sketch revues in the tradition of The Second City (Chicago). Seasonal revues often spoofed political events like federal elections and U.S. presidencies such as Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, and cultural touchstones including films by David Lynch, Alfred Hitchcock, and series like Star Trek. Special productions toured festivals such as Just for Laughs and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and produced television specials airing on CBC Television and co-productions with CTV and Global Television Network. Collaborations included guest runs featuring performers from Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and writers linked to Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Training and Education

The Toronto school offered classes in improvisation, sketch writing, and performance that drew students from institutions like Ryerson University (Toronto Metropolitan University), University of Toronto, York University, and George Brown College. Curriculum included formats developed by Keith Johnstone and longform methods inspired by Del Close, with faculty who had worked on productions for CBC Television, The Comedy Network, and Comedy Central. Alumni went on to teach at workshops and festivals such as Just for Laughs training programs and community outreach initiatives funded by Canada Council for the Arts and provincial arts councils.

Cultural Impact and Reception

Second City Toronto contributed to Toronto's reputation as a hub for comedy that fed talent into SCTV, Saturday Night Live, and international film industries like Hollywood. Critics in outlets such as The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and NOW Magazine noted its role in shaping Canadian television comedy and live performance. The institution's legacy is evident in the careers of performers who influenced productions at Royal Alexandra Theatre, Princess of Wales Theatre, and television networks like CBC Television and CTV. Its influence intersected with cultural policy debates in Toronto and funding decisions by bodies such as the Canada Media Fund and Ontario Arts Council.

Category:Improvisational theatre organizations Category:Comedy clubs in Toronto Category:The Second City