More Details About Sketch and Improv Comedy at The Second City L.A.
More Information
The modern purveyors of sketch and improvisational comedy, including SNL, SCTV and MADTV all owe a debt to The Second City. After 45 years of being one of Chicago's most enduring comedy institutions their members have grown up to be some of the top names in American Comedy: John Belushi, Bill Murray, Betty Thomas, Alan Arkin, Tina Fey, Chris Farley, Bonnie Hunt, Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert just to name a few.
And if the training ground of Second City is in the "Ivy League of Comedy," its graduates invariably leave Chicago, Toronto or Detroit and come to Hollywood, where they don't just sit around, they get together and ply their art form. Alumni members of the Second City such as Dan Castellaneta (voice of Homer Simpson), Larry Joe Campbell (Andy on "According to Jim"), and Keegan Michael Key (actor, Mad TV) often show up on the Second City L.A. stage to keep expanding the state of the art of improvisation with new forms and new ideas.
The Second City Los Angeles Studio Theatre provides an environment where both students and professionals can learn, explore, expand and showcase their talents applying the distinctive Second City style. Performances at the Studio Theater range from Second City alumni productions to Training Center Graduates Greenhouse shows to training center performances.
Ditka
1985 Chicago Bears-style improv. Ditka is: Frank Caeti, Brian Gallivan, Maribeth Monroe, and Marc Warzecha. Cast credits include MADtv, Reno 911, Thank God You’re Here, The Second City Chicago Mainstage and more.
Also appearing: McShane -Second City Training Center graduates perform different improvised long forms every week.
Delicious Moments with Brian & Ithamar
Hungry? Good. Second City Chicago Alums Brian Shortall and Ithamar Enriquez, take you on a delicious journey of improvisation. Come for a snack, leave with a full belly. Isn’t it time you celebrate your delicious moments? The duo's film and TV credits include: Punk’d, Better Off Ted, In Treatment, Miss Congeniality II, The Promotion and Live! With Regis and Kelly.
Also appearing: Shenanigan’s Pie - Second City Training Center graduates perform long form improv.
Edmund Serves Coffee: The Second City Alumni Invitational
Alumni from Second City’s resident and touring companies in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, and Toronto improvise together.
The Family Funk
Second City Chicago and Detroit alums Joshua & Nyima Funk perform the fine art of improvisation every week with amazing special guests! Get Funked. They'll Funk you up. If you don't come, you can Funk off. (Film and TV credits include: Wild 'n' Out, Thank God You're Here, Reno 911, The Informant, Lifegame, Girlfriends, and Oprah).
Also appearing: Long Form 3 - Students from Second City's Long Form class experiment with a different long form each show.
FrankenMatt
FrankenMatt is a two man comedy ensemble starring Second City Chicago Resident Company Alumni Frank Caeti (MADtv, Reno 911) and Matt Craig (The Office, According to Jim). FrankenMatt's sketch comedy show combines a road trip narrative with fast paced wit, characters, absurdity, reality, and hilarity.
North Wells Chowder Society
Long form improvisation with Second City alumni Craig Cackowski (Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Dan Baakedahl (The Daily Show, Observe and Report), Jean Villepique (The Office, 30 Rock, My Boys and I Love You, Man) and other special guests.
Obliged - A One-Woman Show and FilmStripShow!
Weddings. Ugh. While the divorce rate escalates, weddings have taken on an absolutely unprecedented importance. They've become the quintessential day for self-indulgence, extravagance and unbridled ostentation. In this one-woman show, Megan Grano exposes the state of weddings by following one bride's story, starting with her engagement. We meet the self-centered bride, her parents, her sad but eager-to-please maid of honor, her terrified florist, her wacky minister and a multitude of other characters all involved in making this the biggest, and (therefore) bestest day of her life!
Second City Resident Company Alumni Holly Walker (Hitting the Nuts, All of Us) has unearthed ridiculous filmstrips from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s and combined them with silly and historical character pieces of her own. Visit a time when dancing cigarettes were considered ‘cute’ and pornography was linked to Communist conspiracy and the decline of Western civilization! It’s fun for the whole family!
CatNip
CatNip is an all-female long-form improv ensemble. CatNip is Rebecca Sage Allen, Beth Crosby, Laurel Coppock, Kim Garr, Molly Erdman, Sarah Haskins and Amanda Tate. CatNip's credits include The Second City Mainstage and ETC, Groundlings Sunday Company, IO, IO West, UCB, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "InfoMania," "I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With," "According to Jim," and those "Sonic" commercials.
The Second City - L.A.
Since 1959, The Second City has established itself as a theatrical landmark and a national treasure. The theatre that launched the careers of such comic greats as John Belushi, Mike Myers, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Gilda Radner, and more offers nightly comedy shows, as well as training in improvisation and corporate training services.
The Los Angeles Studio Theatre hosts a mix of student shows from the LA-based training center. Late nights and all night on Saturdays, catch Resident Company alumni from the Chicago, Toronto and Detroit stages improvising and doing their own written sketch material.
