Chicago's Second City comedy group to appear one night only in the UCSD Mandeville Center

September 9, 1988

Contact: Ruth Baily, University Events Office, 534-4090 or Alixandra Williams, Public Information Office, 534-3120

CHICAGO'S SECOND CITY COMEDY GROUP TO APPEAR ONE NIGHT ONLY AT UCSD ON OCTOBER 3

The touring group of Chicago's famed comedy theatre, Second City, will appear at 8 p.m. October 3 in the Mandeville Center at the University of California, San Diego.

Second City became the parent of improvisation more than 25 years ago and, in doing so, changed the face of American comedy. Since then, each decade has brought a wave of such notables as Mike Nichols, Elaine May and Ed Asner, followed by Jerry Stiller, Joan Rivers, Shelly Berman, Anne Meara and Alan Arkin, and later by Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and the brothers Belushi.

From Second City in Chicago and (later) Toronto came the first headliners for the television show "Saturday Night Live": John Belushi, Bill Murray, Aykroyd and Radner.

Second City also fueled the television series "SCTV Comedy Network," produced by the Toronto chapter. The show was aired by NBC in the late-Friday-night slot.

Movies also felt the influence of Second City theatre, with such films as "Animal House," "Meatballs," "Stripes," and "Caddyshack." Second City member Harold Ramis, who was a regular from 1969 through the mid-1970s, co- wrote "Animal House" which featured John Belushi. Second City stars also made the cast of other projects.

Joyce Sloan, Second City's producer for its entire history, said the touring company's performers will eventually become the people who perform in the resident company.

The material they use, Sloan said, is drawn from what is going on around them. One of the best resources for new material has been to poll the audience at show time for improv ideas. The onstage group, usually made up of five to six people, would toss the idea around and develop an improvisational situation on the spot. If the idea was a good one, they would refine it and eventually include it in one of Second City's three yearly revues.

Tickets for the Second City Touring Company are on sale at the UCSD Box Office (534-4559) and from TicketMaster outlets for $11 (GA), $9 (seniors) and $7 (students). This performance is brought to San Diego by the UCSD University Events Office.

(September 9, 1988)