The Second City

The Second City
Spatms · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	The Second City
Established	1959
Founders	Paul Sills; Bernard Sahlins; Howard Alk
Location	Chicago, Illinois; Toronto, Ontario
Genre	Improvisational comedy; sketch comedy

The Second City

The Second City is a long-established improvisational comedy troupe and school founded in 1959 in Chicago and later expanded to Toronto and other cities. It pioneered ensemble-based improvisation that influenced Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Weekend Update, SCTV, The Muppet Show, and television comedy writers and performers across North America. Its methods and alumni shaped institutions such as The Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, The Public Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and numerous film and television productions.

History

Founded by Paul Sills, Bernard Sahlins, and Howard Alk, the company emerged from improvisational techniques developed by Viola Spolin and the Compass Players, which included figures like Joan Rivers and Mike Nichols. Early ensembles drew from Chicago venues and artistic movements tied to Second City Coffee House-era experimental theatre and regional repertory companies. The troupe rapidly influenced television programs including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Carol Burnett Show, SCTV, and late-night formats connected to David Letterman and Conan O'Brien. During the 1970s and 1980s, its alumni permeated Hollywood through collaborations with studios such as Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Columbia Pictures, and appeared in films directed by John Landis, Ivan Reitman, and Woody Allen. Political satire from the company intersected with events like the Watergate scandal, 1980 United States presidential election, and coverage on networks including NBC, ABC, and CBC Television. The Second City expanded internationally with productions connected to festivals like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and exchanges with theatres such as The Old Vic and Royal Shakespeare Company ensembles.

Training and Education Programs

The Second City Training Center built curricula influenced by improvisation pioneers including Viola Spolin and educators associated with Northwestern University and University of Chicago theatre programs. Courses cover scene study, long-form improvisation, sketch writing, and musical improv; graduates have gone on to train at institutions like Juilliard School, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and conservatories affiliated with New York University and University of California, Los Angeles. The school has partnerships and alumni pipelines into television writers’ rooms at Late Night with Seth Meyers, Saturday Night Live, and streaming series produced by Netflix, Amazon Studios, and HBO. Touring conservatories and youth programs have collaborated with arts organizations such as Kennedy Center, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and community initiatives tied to Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Notable Alumni and Influence

Alumni include performers and writers who became central to Saturday Night Live ensembles—such as John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Harold Ramis, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Chris Farley—and film and television figures like Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Andrea Martin, Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Horatio Sanz, Garry Shandling, Tim Meadows, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Norm Macdonald, Abe Vigoda, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Ellen Cleghorn and others who contributed to films and shows produced by Universal Pictures, United Artists, Sony Pictures, and CBS. Beyond television and film, alumni have led theatre companies like Steppenwolf Theatre Company and served in academic positions at Columbia University, New York University, and Northwestern University. The company’s influence extends to comedic podcasts and digital platforms associated with Infocom, Earwolf, WNYC Studios, and independent sketch collectives.

Touring and Productions

Resident revues and touring companies presented material addressing political and social events such as the 1992 United States presidential election, Iraq War (2003–2011), and cultural moments reflecting coverage by CNN, Fox News, and public broadcasters like CBC Television. Tours played prominent arts centers including Lincoln Center, Paley Center for Media, Chicago Theatre, Royal Alexandra Theatre, and festivals like the Just for Laughs comedy festival. Productions ranged from short-form improv to scripted revues featuring alumni guest appearances on programs such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Late Show with David Letterman, and televised specials on PBS and CBC. Touring ensembles have been affiliated with talent agencies including Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor to place performers into film, television, and commercial projects.

Organizational Structure and Locations

Originally headquartered in Chicago, with a prominent Toronto branch, the organization has maintained theatres and training centers in cities such as Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles, and New York City, and satellite programs in regional markets connected to institutions like Lyric Opera of Chicago and municipal cultural agencies. Leadership historically included artistic directors and executive teams with ties to Kenneth E. Behring, theatrical producers like Joseph Papp, and business partners involved with entertainment companies including RKO Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Corporate partnerships and philanthropic relationships involved foundations such as the MacArthur Foundation and arts councils, while commercial collaborations placed alumni into productions at networks NBC, ABC, CBS, and streaming platforms like Hulu. The Second City’s model influenced the creation of training centers and ensembles across North America and internationally, seeding talent into institutions like The Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and university theatre programs.

Category:Improvisational theatre Category:Comedy troupes