This weekend, the award-winning Chicago-based improv comedy troupe, The Second City will be visiting the CSB/SJU campus. They will be performing in a sold-out show at Escher Auditorium on Saturday night at 7:30 pm. They are also holding an improv workshop with student improve group Attention Starved Children.
The Second City first opened their doors in 1959, and the art of sketch comedy is widely attributed to them. Since then, they have entertained over one million guests per year, toured the world, trained thousands of students, created an Emmy-winning television program with over 185 episodes and graduated over 500 alumni. Stars such as John Belushi, Mike Meyers, Bill Murray, Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert all began at The Second City.
Fine Arts Programming has brought other improv groups to the campuses in the past with positive response. This is the first visit from The Second City, and it is highly anticipated.
The performance is part of the events for Family Weekend.
“We try to program performances that will have a wide audience appeal, shows families can enjoy together and that fit well with the other activities scheduled around the campuses for the weekend. This group has such wide name recognition and such legendary histories that people have really been enthusiastic, and we’ve sold out well in advance of the show,” Leslie Hanlon, the Director of Fundraising & Marketing of Fine Arts at CSB/SJU said.
Unfortunately, this will make it difficult to find tickets for the show, but students and their families who have already purchased tickets can look forward to a show that the Chicago Tribune calls “groundbreaking, richly textured and deliciously dark.”
The performance is sure to round out Family Weekend perfectly.
“We work with artists who actively involve the right brain, are not pretentious, whose work be integrated into the fabric of our campus, and offer an element of fun. The Second City ensemble certainly fits these criteria,” Brian Jose, the Executive Director of Fine Arts at CSB/SJU said.
In addition to the performance, they will be working with CSB/SJU student improv group, Attention Starved Children. The Second City artists will hold a two-hour workshop on Saturday with the group and they will teach scenic improvisation with an emphasis on ensemble work. The comedic skills The Second City has to offer will be continued on campus.
If you missed out on this opportunity, there are several other options for Family Weekend, including a student improv group, a family movie, a 5k family fun run/walk, a carnival, a chili luncheon and family dinner and the Johnnie football game.