Days and Nights at The Second City: A Memoir, with Notes on Staging Review Theatre

by Bernard Sahlins

On December 1, 1959, in Chicago, a small band of classically trained actors, directors, and musicians came together to create what became―and remains―a legendary home of The Second City. Very quickly it achieved a national and international reputation as a center for comedic performance. It served as the training ground for hundreds of important writers, actors, and Bill Murray, John Belushi, Alan Arkin, Mike Nichols and Elaine May, John Candy, Martin Short, Harold Ramis, George Wendt, Mike Myers, Gilda Radner―the list goes on and on. Now Bernard Sahlins, a founder and the longtime director and producer of The Second City, has set down his experiences and his methods in Days and Nights at The Second City . This is a fascinating history of how this remarkable institution came to be, plus a detailed text on every aspect of staging a comic review, and absorbing conversation on the art of the hilarious. Not only actors and directors but anyone interested in theatre and comedy will find engaging and useful insights on every page. With 15 black-and-white photographs.

Genres: Comedy

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born in Chicago, Sahlins graduated from University of Chicago in 1943. His brother is anthropologist Marshall Sahlins.

When Sahlins received an honorary doctorate from Columbia College Chicago in 2006, theatre department professor Sheldon Patinkin wrote:

In 1953, he became a producer of Playwrights Theatre Club, the first professional theater company in Chicago in many years. It featured such budding actors and directors as Ed Asner, Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Paul Sills, and Byrne and Joyce Piven

In 1956, he took over the empty downtown Studebaker Theatre and did a year of plays which included the Chicago premiere of Waiting for Godot and then in 1959, with Paul Sills and Howard Alk, he opened The Second City where Bernie remained as producer and, eventually, one of the directors until the 1990s.

Among the many talents he hired are John and James Belushi, John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis and Bill Murray.

Bernie was also one of the developers and producers of the acclaimed TV show SCTV.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was part mini memoir, part "staging a review" manual. I enjoyed reading Sahlins's recounting of the formation of the Second City, and the ups and downs of the first twenty-five years of the company. It's fascinating to read about the people that came through the Second City and to realize just how many of them were such talented people. It was also interesting to hear how lucky they were in those first few years to get the chances they did, and to read him recount how incredible their success was, and how surprising it was to them. Sahlins has a very conversational way of writing, and it feels as though you're sitting in someone's living room listening to him tell great stories of the good ole days, without sounding as though he can't move past them. He even details the understanding he had of when it was time to step back, or depart completely. I didn't thoroughly read the second section of the book, as it seemed it was more a =n instructional text for acting classes. I did skim it, and found what I did read to be quite informative and interesting. Generally an entertaining read.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to read a behind the scenes account of the formation of The Second City. There are stories about the first shows in Chicago, talent poaching that occurred when they tried to branch out to New York, and the wildly successful evolution of the Toronto Second City. The second half of the book is a guide for putting on a stage review. I disagree with Sahlins' argument that pure improv is not a valid theatrical format, but many of his insights on listening, character development, and interacting with the stage environment apply equally to improv and scripted scene work.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish there was a little more in the first half about the history of this marvelous institution of comedy, but what was there was wildly entertaining and informative. The second half was a great peek behind the curtain into Second City's creative process.