Students performed comedy with The Second City

Members of the audience were given the chance to join the comedians on stage on Oct 16.

The Second City hosted a master class for Chapman students, some of whom performed with the comedy group at the Musco Center for the Arts. Photo by KALI HOFFMAN, Photo Editor

Originally terrified of performing on stage with The Second City, an improvisational comedy troupe based in Chicago, Illinois, Jack Brenner, a senior screen acting major, was grateful for the unique opportunity which took place Oct. 16. Before the performance, The Second City hosted a master class for Chapman students. Jack Brenner was one of the lucky students in attendance. 

The master class focused on teaching students “the basics” of Second City improv, which consisted of more scene-based skits, Brenner said. To practice what they learned, the troupe played improv games with students in preparation for their stage performance. 

“As someone who wants to do improv in my career, it was really cool to (learn) these different tools that helped me experiment and explore with my own comedic voice and sense of improv,” said the senior screen acting major. 

Following the master class, the Musco Center for the Arts hosted The Second City comedy troupe, which has performed across the country for the last 60 years. Alumnae of the troupe, such as Tina Fey, Chris Farley and John Belushi, have gone on to star in movies and television shows, the most notable being Saturday Night Live. The performing troupe was comprised of Alison Banowsky, Jorge Berrios, Paul Jurewicz, Jamison Scala, Jacklyn Uweh and Casey Whitaker. The show was a rotation of sketches, singing, dancing and improvisation. 

To make the improv more interesting, the comedians called upon audience members for direction and inspiration. The audience was asked to name professional settings, popular magazines, animals and accents for the actors to use in different skits. Some responses from the audience included a peacock, the post office, a chiropractor, a yoga teacher and a donkey. Members of the audience were even given the opportunity to join the comedians on stage.

Brenner currently attends The Groundlings Theatre & School, an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe that specializes in comedy training in Los Angeles. The ability to perform with The Second City comedians gave Brenner more experience for his career as a writer and movie director. 

“(My dream) is to do all things comedy,” Brenner said. “I want to write, act, do improve, all of it.”