Acting 1

In a Second City revue, the comedy partly derives from the writing of the scenes; the premise, jokes, satire, etc… But the truly deep audience laughs, the laughs that people remember for years after the show, come from great performances. In this first level of the Second City Acting Program, students immerse themselves into improv exercises focused on sharpening their emotional range. When actors emotionally commit to the scene, the audience is emotionally invested too. Human beings are funny just the way they are. Students will explore and understand recognizable human behavior and how it can become a comedic actor’s most valuable asset. We will also explore the dramatic side of comedy. Pulling the audience back and forth to feel multiple emotions in a scene is essential for the working actor. All of these skills in this level will be explored using improvisation. No scripts.

Students are required to complete Improv 1 or a minimum of 30 hours of improv instruction at another institution.