The Second City Almanac of Improvisation

by Anne Libera, Inc. Second City (Primary Contributor)

It all began in a converted Chinese laundry on Chicago's north side on a cold December night in 1959. No one could have known that by the next century, The Second City would have established itself as the premier comedy institution in the world. Taking its act north, The Second City would build a second permanent home in Toronto where it would create the Emmy-Award winning television series "SCTV." Pioneering the use of improvisation in developing talent and creating satiric revue comedy, The Second City has become - in the words of the New York Times - "A Comedy Empire."The Second City Almanac of Improvisation - like the theatre itself - is a collection of diverse ideas, viewpoints, and memories, written by a vast array of teachers, actors, and directors who all got their start at the legendary comedy theatre. Fred Willard recalls his introduction to The Second City style in the mid-Sixties; Tim Kazurinsky gives a hilarious visual demonstration on the art of object work; "Saturday Night Live" star Tina Fey talks about re-improvising material as a mode of writing revue comedy; noted director Mick Napier takes on the thorny debate between long-form improvisation and short-form improvisation. Anne Libera guides the reader through each essay by providing a road map for understanding how The Second City method of improv-based comedy has become the industry standard.Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, John Candy, Martin Short, Gilda Radner, George Wendt, Jim Belushi, Bonnie Hunt, Mike Myers, Ryan Stiles, Rachel Dratch, Nia Vardalos - no other theatre can boast an alumni list of this magnitude. The Second City Almanac of Improvisation provides practical instruction, personal details, and inspiration to both improvisers and their fans.

Genres: Comedy, Humor, Nonfiction, Theatre, Personal Development, Communication, Reference

200 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2004

Reviews

[Chris Haddad · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, The Second City Almanac of Improvisation (Which from here on out will be referred to as "this book") was an extremely interesting experience. It is one thing to read a funny book, or read a book about funny people. It is another thing to read a book that allows the reader to delve into the minds of the people we have seen on TV like Tina Fey and Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson) and see how they learned to become so successful. I found the descriptions of various improv exercises to be extremely interesting, and I hope to put those into practice myself. As a aspiring improv comedian/sketch comedy writer, I feel that these experiences were so well written, that I learned about technique simply from reading them. The anecdotes and essays were very informational and extremely funny at times. I expect nothing less from some of the world's funniest individuals. Many of these comedians started off the same - as awkward, shy, young, oddballs. I also learned a lot about the origins of The Second City and Viola Spolin. This book points out how everything you know about improv is most likely not what improv actually is or is supposed to be. The performances aren't about the content of the performance, but rather how one should perform it. For example, don't pretend your hand is a gun. That is not real. Instead, pretend you are holding a gun with your hand. Convince the audience that you don't know there isn't really a gun there. Don't be predictable either. This will only lead to an audience that is sitting there waiting for teh unsual thing that they ARE expecting. That's just a small example out of 200 pages of brilliance. I highly suggest this book if you want to know about the process of improv, or if you simply want to know more about some of the funniest people and where they come from.

[Seymour Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept photographing the pages to use when I'm teaching - lots of useful classroom exercises and pithy summaries of improv philosophies.

[Greg Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second City gives Chicago some of its reach as a creative hub. Sure, SNL is filmed in New York, but many of its alums and current stars still come from the Windy City. Yes and, Second City's story is told through these pages with the inspiration and free-form that you would expect of improv.

Such a wonderful mix of stories of the teachers that have lived with students - from Viola Spolin's groundbreaking work to the work of other well respected teachers, or the animated work of Don Depollo. Stories about "first classes" with the inevitable motley crew of oddballs, theater geeks, shy recluses and young post-college kids.

There is discussion of games, suggestions for ways to take improv to the next level, and discussion on the finer points of what it meants to make someone laugh. Sure, we admire a quick-witted response, but we really respond to pain, and the thoughtful characteristics exhibited by an actress to make that character authentic.

Of course the book is ultimately a catalyst. For anyone who wants witness the language of improv, get out there and see it. You never know where it will take you. Just take the book with you, for the ride there.

[River · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this while taking my first improv class. was helpful for reinforcing the concepts we learned. the essays are also great. particularly loved keegan-michael key’s essay on finding your voice.

[UChicagoLaw]

"The Second City is one of the great cultural institutions of Chicago and one with strong University of Chicago ties. Bernie Sahlins, AB ’43, co-founded Second City and that grew out of an earlier incarnation on campus. Libera’s book offers a window into the process of improvisation and sketch creation at Second City. It does so through materials that she has assembled from the gifted comedians who have flowed through Second City over the years, including early greats such as Alan Arkin and more recent prominent Second City alums such as Tina Fey. A fun, easy read on the creative process at work and play." - Randal C. Picker