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Reel Chicago is a daily digital magazine that covers the news in Chicago on all aspects of advertising, film, TV, media and production. The content is original, written by industry experts and contributing Op Eds
The Second City, the world’s leader in satirical comedy, has reopened their e.t.c. stage at Piper’s Alley to audiences. The return of the e.t.c. theater with a new show, “Out of the House Party,” a blend of archival sketches and improv featuring beloved and thoroughly missed cast members, advances Second City’s reopening progress since welcoming … Continue reading “The Second City reopens their e.t.c. Theater Stage”
Topic, the streaming service from First Look Media, announced today that they are partnering with legendary comedy force and improvisational theater troupe The Second City for a half-hour sketch and variety limited series event called The Second City Presents: The Last Show Left on Earth. The limited series event will stream exclusively on Topic in … Continue reading “‘The Second City Presents: The Last Show Left on Earth’”
Chicago filmmaker and Marine Corps veteran Jonah Saeson is featured in this years GI Film Festival. This veteran turned actor and filmmaker is the director of the GI Festival contending film The Sweatshirt. This comedic short which blenders Chicago crime show style interbred with sarcastic undertones is about a woman who must negotiate the release … Continue reading “Second City Teacher, Marine Vet screens film in GI Fest”
This is no laughing matter. New York-based private equity firm ZMC announced today that it has acquired The Second City, the world’s premier brand in improvisation and sketch-based comedy entertainment and education. Founded in Chicago in 1959, The Second City is an iconic brand that has become the most influential and prolific comedy empire in the world. … Continue reading “Iconic Second City acquired by New York-based ZMC”
Legendary comedy institution The Second City announces the recipients of a new scholarship for diverse comedic talent in partnership with Saturday Night Live. The creation of the SNL Scholarship, announced in October, was designed to grant comedians at varying levels of experience the opportunity to further their professional development at The Second City. In addition to receiving performance and writing … Continue reading “Second City, ‘SNL’ announce scholarship recipients”
Chicago has lost a beloved writer, actor, comedian, teacher, husband and father. Former SNL writer, Michael Clayton McCarthy, who was also an active member of The Second City, iO Comedy and DePaul University faculties, passed away peacefully after a two-year bout with a debilitating form of cancer on April 8, 2020. He was 61. His … Continue reading “Former SNL writer, Second City vet McCarthy passes at 61”
“I guess I learned how to take the lights out at the right moment. You just have to always be looking for the right end.” –Craig Taylor Not all of Second City’s stars appeared on stage. Some of the biggest ones were behind the scenes. This past weekend, Second City announced that longtime stage manager, Craig … Continue reading “Second City Stage Manager Craig Taylor passes at 63”
When audiences and comedy lovers think Improv, they usually think Chicago, home to popular destinations like the infamous The Second City and iO Comedy. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the closures of all schools, theaters, and public venues has also hit the improv world hard. Not only has the COVID-19 Pandemic forced these popular establishments … Continue reading “UPDATED: Second City, Annoyance, iO, ComedySportz go virtual”
Genre-bending music web series that’s “so Chicago it’s basically deep dish pizza” will be released October 22 (Chicago — 16 October 2018) What happens when a group of talented Chicago musicians, actors, improvisers, stand-ups, songwriters, and DJs collaborate on a web series? You get STUDIO B, the three-episode workplace comedy of a struggling Chicago recording … Continue reading “Second City alums help launch ‘Studio B’ web series”
No Joke: DePaul collaborates with world’s largest school of improvisation to offer degrees in comedy filmmaking (Chicago — 3 May 2018) The Second City and DePaul University today announced a collaboration designed to expand comedy education. Starting in fall 2018, DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts will offer comprehensive new undergraduate and graduate degrees in comedy … Continue reading “DePaul, Second City to offer comedy film degrees”
Second City’s Harold Ramis Film School is slated to accept its first class of students in September. “The world’s first film school dedicated to comedy” was named in honor of the late comedy director Harold Ramis, a Second City alum, native Chicagoan and Glencoe resident.
Classes starting June 23 at the Second City Training Center will include a new program on TV, film and digital to give improv actors a place to hone their on-screen skills in Chicago.
“That’s the need that we see and I think that it’s long overdue,” Jack C. Newell, who heads the program, told DNAinfo.
