Podcasts about Second City

Today on What's My Frame I'm joined by comedy casting legend, G. Charles Wright for some much needed laughs, encouragement and stories from his incredible career in casting. G. has nearly 700 episodes of television that are still running in syndication and streaming. Notable credits include THE MIDDLE, ANGER MANAGEMENT & LOPEZ VS LOPEZ to name just a few. G. has been on both sides of the camera, as an actor and casting director. He brings his prolific insight into the world of casting into his classes at the G. Charles Wright Studio. Today G. shares advice on the craft, self tapes and so much more. To learn more about classes and private coaching at G. Charles Wright Studio click here!Full bio:A graduate of USC with a degree in communications (emphasis on television, critical studies,) G. has been on both sides of the camera, as an actor, a casting director, a content creator, a producer and a director. In addition, G's been teaching actors how to audition in his private studio classes since 2002. He began his professional casting career in 1996 as an intern on 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN for Liberman/Patton at Carsey/Werner studios. Shortly after, G moved up the ranks from assistant to associate and finally casting director on THAT ‘70s SHOW seven+ of the series' eight seasons. G is the original casting director of the PBS and Jim Henson Co. animated series SID THE SCIENCE KID, the FX channel's ANGER MANAGEMENT starring Charlie Sheen, the ABC comedy series, THE MIDDLE starring Patricia Heaton, the IFC horror/comedy series from Dana Gould, STAN AGAINST EVIL, the family comedy DIARY OF A FUTURE PRESIDENT on Disney+ and LOPEZ VS LOPEZ for Universal Television and NBC, Peacock, and Netfix.As a performer and creative, G. is a graduate of both Second City and Acme Improvisation companies and has an extensive list of stage credits in sketch, improv, and legit theatre, as well as many onscreen and VO credits. He also fronted two bands over a 25-year period and has spent what feels like a lifetime trying to play the banjo. --What's My Frame, hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laura Linda Bradley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the WMF creative community now!Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsmyframe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IMDb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠What's My Frame? official site⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠What's My Frame? merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TVC 696.4: Via remote from Davenport's Restaurant in Encino, California: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Robert Crane, co-author, along with Christopher Fryer, of Three-Cornered Circle, is a screen play released in book form that is also an adaptation of one of the most poignant stories of Bob and Chris' book Crane: Sex, Celebrity, and My Father's Unsolved Murder: the period in Bob's life when he had to juggle the biggest break of his career at the time—being hired as right-hand man for movie superstar John Candy—with the tragic news that Bob's wife at the time, artist and landscape designer Kari Hildegrand, has been diagnosed with cancer.  Joining Bob and Ed at Davenport's are commercial artist John Cerney, who did the cover art and other illustrations that appear in Three-Cornered Circle, and Meagan Bejar, the managing editor of the book. Topics this segment include how Bob first met John Candy while interviewing him and the other cast members of SCTV for Playboy magazine, how Candy embodied the Second City philosophy of “Yes, and…,” and how Candy was a sweet man with a huge heart who always did his best to take care of his family and the people who were closest to him. Three-Cornered Circle is available through Kill Fee Publishing.

Rose Abdoo joined me to discuss us being birthday buddies; The Flintstones; staying up to watch The Tonight Show; going to Michigan State; moving to Chicago to join Second City; ETC with Stephen Colbert & Amy Sedaris; seeing seeing Mike Meyers & Geena Davis; Chris Farley "Whale Boy" sketch; Tim Meadows; Happy Happy Good Show with Conan O'Brien, Bob Odenkirk & Robert Smigel; winning a Joseph Jefferson Award; creating one person shows; performing in Utah; her TV debut Johnny Bago; my dog; heat wave; playing a version of her mother in My Best Friend's Wedding; Detroit Tigers; dressing for baseball games; Gilmore Girls; the greater great writing; always opposite weather than what was supposed to be in Stars Hallows; Gypsy never in a scene with Ms. Kim; working with Liz Torres & Sally Struthers; the show Reboot and and playing a version of Selma Diamond; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Good Night & Good Luck; George Clooney's generosity; Hacks; Jean Smart; Hannah Einbinder; wanting to not play a character with an accent; Selma Diamond; Happy Days; Lotsa Luck; water cooler moments; Hack fans; CBS Saturday 70's and NBC Thursday 80's lineups; Newhart finale; St. Elsewhere; 25th Anniversary of Gilmore Girls; fan theories; Del Close

Actress Jessica Lowe (The Righteous Gemstones, Minx, Wrecked) joins Nicole to share the romantic saga of falling in love on a Second City cruise ship. On the ship, she met a British bassist who became her cruise ship boyfriend - whom she later realized wasn't as smart as she thought his accent sounded (he tried to dry his pants on a ceiling fan and designed a nightmare demon tattoo for himself).Jessica recalls dating a Dutch chef with a penis that was “too much!” and recounts what might be the most romantic first date ever told on the podcast. She reflects on the men who surprised her, disappointed her, and the slow work of building a relationship that actually lasted.Plus, Jessica and Nicole reminisce about the chaos of filming Curse Friends when everyone tested positive for COVID - and Nicole opens up about sobbing in a makeup chair over a man who simply wasn't worth it.Watch this episode on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWontYouDateMePodcastSupport this podcast and get discounts by checking out our sponsors:» OneSkin: OneSkin is redefining the aging process with their proprietary OS-01 peptide. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code DATEME at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod» SquareSpace: Head to squarespace.com/DATEME to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DATEME.» Booking.com: Book now at Booking.com!» Smalls: Give your cat the food they deserve. For a limited time only, get 60% off your first order PLUS free shipping when you head to Smalls.com and use code DATEME.View all of our sponsors and discounts codes at wwydm.notion.site/sponsors.Follow:Tour Dates: linktr.ee/nicolebyerwastakenYouTube: @WhyWontYouDateMePodcastTikTok: @whywontyoudatemepod Instagram: @nicolebyerX: @nicolebyerNicole's book, #VERYFAT #VERYBRAVE: indiebound.org/book/9781524850746This is a Headgum podcast. Follow Headgum on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok. Advertise on Why Won't You Date Me? via Gumball.fm.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We talked to award-winning comedian, Tom Hearn! Tom Hearn is an award-winning sketch comedian, actor, drag performer and director living in New York City. Tom shares his journey from growing up in New Brunswick, Canada, to tearing up comedy stages across North America. Tom shares how his love for theater started early and how joining an improv team in high school opened the door to a lifelong passion for comedy. Tom talks about auditioning for musical theater, performing at Bad Dog and Second City, and creating sketch shows. We talk about the power of character work, the differences between performing on stage and on camera, the real challenges of touring and promoting live shows, and his new comedy album, "Gay Garbage." It's a thoughtful, funny, and inspiring look at the life of a multi-talented performer. www.isthattomhearn.com YouTube: @TomHearn, @ThereItIs TikTok: @isthattomhearn4real, @jasonfarrtoks Instagram: @isthattomhearn, @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrPics  Facebook: @isthattomhearn, @ThereItIsPod  Threads: @ThereItIsPod, @JasonFarrPics Subscribe to our comedy newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/e22defd4dee2/thereitis

Seinfeld Podcast Interview With Linda Kash. Linda played "Gwen" in the Season 5 "Seinfeld" episode, "The Lip ReaderLinda is an actress of stage and screen, she got her start at the famed Second City in Toronto, you know her from "Waiting For Guffman" and "Best in Show," "Cinderella Man," "Fargo," "Third Rock form the Sun," "Everybody Loves Raymond" and as the Philly Cream Cheese Angel This Podcast Is Making Me Thirsty is a podcast dedicated to Seinfeld, the last, great sitcom of our time. We are The #1 Destination for Seinfeld Fans.We talk with those responsible for making Seinfeld the greatest sitcom in TV history. Our guests are Seinfeld writers, Seinfeld actors and actresses and Seinfeld crew.We also welcome well-known Seinfeld fans from all walks of life including authors, entertainers, and TV & Radio personalities.We analyze Seinfeld and breakdown the show with an honest insight. We rank every Seinfeld episode and compare Seinfeld seasons. If you are a fan of Seinfeld, television history, sitcoms, acting, comedy or entertainment, this is the place for you.Do us a solid, support the Podcast

Meet the talented Rich Sohn! After being introduced to improv in college, he moved to Chicago in 1987, so he's definitely a seasoned pro in the Improv world. He studied, taught and directed at the Annoyance Theatre, IO and, Second City. As a teacher, he was at The Annoyance Theatre where Rich primarily found his voice and approach. His teaching style is highly influenced by Mick Napier. He moved to LA in 2017 and now teaches at The Pack Theater. He has directed, written and performed hours and hours of comedy content. Designed curriculum to help professionals and students find and perfect their voice. And improvisation has remained at the root of everything he does. We talked about what he looks for in his students and his teaching style. I think you'll admire Rich as much as I do!

In the wake of SNL's success the Second City gang get their own show, they rub elbows in Hollywood, and John gets his first taste of movie stardom after scoring a plum role in Steven Spielberg's next film.John Candy: The Lou Gehrig of Comedy is a series that honours the timeless humour and heartfelt performances of John Candy, star of hits like Splash, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Home Alone.Follow us on our socials: Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, YouTube & SubstackWritten & Hosted by Ryan BarnettProduced by Ryan Barnett & Sonia GemmitiRecorded by Tyler RaumanAdditional voices by Matthew Barnett & Sean QuinlanA Knockabout Media ProductionAdditional audio material:Retrontario, The Bobbie Wygant Archive, Breadcrustcouncil, Dash Retro, Kamenliter, Ugazzovision*This program and all relevant content is for educational purposes only and to the best of our knowledge is being used under Fair Dealing/Fair Use Act guidelines and within Canadian and United States standards of fair dealing/fair use* Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kelly Leonard, Vice President, Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development at The Second City and host of the “Getting to Yes, And…” podcast, joins John Landecker to talk about his book Yes and, Second City’s 65th anniversary, and talk about Viola Spolin’s impact.

I met Rebekah through Marc Warzecha at the Sketch School and knew I wanted to know more about this intriguing person! Rebekah Walendzak Slepski has been an adjunct faculty member at The Second City since 2008. She has developed comedy writing courses for SCTC, Lesly Kahn & Co, and The Sketch School. Co-creator and executive producer of Chicago's long-running LGBTQIA+ soap opera, The Ville, Rebekah is a former associate member of The Actors' Gang with a B.A. in Theatre Arts from San Jose State University. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and a founding member of the Association of International Comedy Educators (AICE-CWA Local 9505). In Part 1 we talk about her early life, interest in theater and her path that led her to Second City Chicago. Be sure to check out her website at: https://rebekahwalendzakslepski.com This summer she Rebeka perform for Shakespeare on the Bluff: https://cfa.lmu.edu/programs/theatrearts/shakespeareonthebluff/ If you'd like to study sketch writing with her she teaches at the Rodney Dangerfield Institute @LACC. https://lacitycollege.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=13113&int_category_id=0&int_sub_category_id=0&int_catalog_id=0

We continue our fascinating talk with Rebeka Walendsak Slepski and her journey in sketch writing and life. She spoke about her recovery from Hodgkin lymphoma and subsequent bone marrow transplant. Despite going through treatment and surgeries she persevered and went to Second City LA. She was on the faculty teaching writing and sketch. Rebekah has been an adjunct faculty member at The Second City since 2008. She has developed comedy writing courses for SCTC, Lesly Kahn & Co, and The Sketch School. Co-creator and executive producer of Chicago's long-running LGBTQIA+ soap opera, The Ville, Rebekah is a former associate member of The Actors' Gang with a B.A. in Theatre Arts from San Jose State University. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and a founding member of the Association of International Comedy Educators (AICE-CWA Local 9505). Be sure to check out her website at: https://rebekahwalendzakslepski.com This summer she Rebeka perform for Shakespeare on the Bluff: https://cfa.lmu.edu/programs/theatrearts/shakespeareonthebluff/ If you'd like to study sketch writing with her she teaches at the Rodney Dangerfield Institute @LACC. https://lacitycollege.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=13113&int_category_id=0&int_sub_category_id=0&int_catalog_id=0

Kelly Leonard, Vice President, Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development at The Second City and host of the “Getting to Yes, And…” podcast, joins John Williams to talk about a recent conversation he had with University of Toronto professor Christopher DiCarlo where they discussed the ethics of artificial intelligence. Are robots going to kill us? Kelly […]

Kelly Leonard, Vice President, Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development at The Second City and host of the “Getting to Yes, And…” podcast, joins John Williams to talk about a recent conversation he had with University of Toronto professor Christopher DiCarlo where they discussed the ethics of artificial intelligence. Are robots going to kill us? Kelly […]

Kelly Leonard, Vice President, Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development at The Second City and host of the “Getting to Yes, And…” podcast, joins John Williams to talk about a recent conversation he had with University of Toronto professor Christopher DiCarlo where they discussed the ethics of artificial intelligence. Are robots going to kill us? Kelly […]

Before Erin Diehl was training Fortune 500 teams to think on their feet, she was juggling job fairs by day and Second City by night.In Part One, we go back to the origin story—how a recruiting job collided with a comedy stage and sparked a business idea no one saw coming. From cold pitching United Airlines with zero credentials to redefining ROI as “Return on Objective,” Erin shares how improv became her leadership laboratory. Along the way, we talk about joy, failure, and what really happens when you turn your side hustle into your full-time mission.Key Highlights of Our Interview:From Stage Lights to Slide Decks“I was working in recruiting by day and performing improv by night. Eventually, I realized improv wasn't just funny—it was functional.”How Erin's stagecraft became a corporate tool.United We Improv“My first client was United Airlines—and I didn't even have a logo yet.”How one bold pitch turned into a paid pilot and a new career.In the Business of Joy“I just knew I wanted to help people and bring joy.”Why Erin sees her work as more than training—it's emotional transformation.Forget ROI, Focus on ROO“We don't measure ROI—we measure ROO: Return on Objective.”How Improve It tailors every session to real business outcomes.From Talk Show Dreams to Leadership Teams“I wanted to be Oprah. I ended up helping people lead better lives through improv.”The full-circle moment that turned childhood dreams into professional purpose.________________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Erin Diehl  --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.18 Million+ All-Time Downloads.80+ Countries Reached Daily.Global Top 1.5% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>170,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.

Good Sunday morning to you,I am just on a train home from Glasgow, where I have been gigging these past two nights. I've had a great time, as I always seem to do when I go north of the wall.But Glasgow on a Saturday night is something else. My hotel was right next to the station and so I was right in the thick of it. If I ever get to make a cacatopian, end-of-days, post-apocalyptic thriller, I'll just stroll through Glasgow city centre on a Friday or Saturday night with a camera to get all the B roll. It was like walking through a Hieronymus Bosch painting only with a Scottish accent. Little seems to have changed since I wrote that infamous chapter about Glasgow in Life After the State all those years ago. The only difference is that now it's more multi-ethnic. So many people are so off their heads. I lost count of the number of randoms wandering about just howling at the stars. The long days - it was still light at 10 o'clock - make the insanity all the more visible. Part of me finds it funny, but another part of me finds it so very sad that so many people let themselves get into this condition. It prompted me to revisit said chapter, and I offer it today as your Sunday thought piece.Just a couple of little notes, before we begin. This caught my eye on Friday. Our favourite uranium tech company, Lightbridge Fuels (NASDAQ:LTBR), has taken off again with Donald Trump's statement that he is going to quadruple US nuclear capacity. The stock was up 45% in a day. We first looked at it in October at $3. It hit $15 on Friday. It's one to sell on the spikes and buy on the dips, as this incredible chart shows.(In other news I have now listened twice to the Comstock Lode AGM, and I'll report back on that shortly too). ICYMI here is my mid-week commentary, which attracted a lot of attentionRight - Glasgow.(NB I haven't included references here. Needless to say, they are all there in the book. And sorry I don't have access to the audio of me reading this from my laptop, but, if you like, you can get the audiobook at Audible, Apple Books and all good audiobookshops. The book itself available at Amazon, Apple Books et al).How the Most Entrepreneurial City in Europe Became Its SickestThe cause of waves of unemployment is not capitalism, but governments …Friedrich Hayek, economist and philosopherIn the 18th and 19th centuries, the city of Glasgow in Scotland became enormously, stupendously rich. It happened quite organically, without planning. An entrepreneurial people reacted to their circumstances and, over time, turned Glasgow into an industrial and economic centre of such might that, by the turn of the 20th century, Glasgow was producing half the tonnage of Britain's ships and a quarter of all locomotives in the world. (Not unlike China's industrial dominance today). It was regarded as the best-governed city in Europe and popular histories compared it to the great imperial cities of Venice and Rome. It became known as the ‘Second City of the British Empire'.Barely 100 years later, it is the heroin capital of the UK, the murder capital of the UK and its East End, once home to Europe's largest steelworks, has been dubbed ‘the benefits capital of the UK'. Glasgow is Britain's fattest city: its men have Britain's lowest life expectancy – on a par with Palestine and Albania – and its unemployment rate is 50% higher than the rest of the UK.How did Glasgow manage all that?The growth in Glasgow's economic fortunes began in the latter part of the 17th century and the early 18th century. First, the city's location in the west of Scotland at the mouth of the river Clyde meant that it lay in the path of the trade winds and at least 100 nautical miles closer to America's east coast than other British ports – 200 miles closer than London. In the days before fossil fuels (which only found widespread use in shipping in the second half of the 19th century) the journey to Virginia was some two weeks shorter than the same journey from London or many of the other ports in Britain and Europe. Even modern sailors describe how easy the port of Glasgow is to navigate. Second, when England was at war with France – as it was repeatedly between 1688 and 1815 – ships travelling to Glasgow were less vulnerable than those travelling to ports further south. Glasgow's merchants took advantage and, by the early 18th century, the city had begun to assert itself as a trading hub. Manufactured goods were carried from Britain and Europe to North America and the Caribbean, where they were traded for increasingly popular commodities such as tobacco, cotton and sugar.Through the 18th century, the Glasgow merchants' business networks spread, and they took steps to further accelerate trade. New ships were introduced, bigger than those of rival ports, with fore and aft sails that enabled them to sail closer to the wind and reduce journey times. Trading posts were built to ensure that cargo was gathered and stored for collection, so that ships wouldn't swing idly at anchor. By the 1760s Glasgow had a 50% share of the tobacco trade – as much as the rest of Britain's ports combined. While the English merchants simply sold American tobacco in Europe at a profit, the Glaswegians actually extended credit to American farmers against future production (a bit like a crop future today, where a crop to be grown at a later date is sold now). The Virginia farmers could then use this credit to buy European goods, which the Glaswegians were only too happy to supply. This brought about the rise of financial institutions such as the Glasgow Ship Bank and the Glasgow Thistle Bank, which would later become part of the now-bailed-out, taxpayer-owned Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).Their practices paid rewards. Glasgow's merchants earned a great deal of money. They built glamorous homes and large churches and, it seems, took on aristocratic airs – hence they became known as the ‘Tobacco Lords'. Numbering among them were Buchanan, Dunlop, Ingram, Wilson, Oswald, Cochrane and Glassford, all of whom had streets in the Merchant City district of Glasgow named after them (other streets, such as Virginia Street and Jamaica Street, refer to their trade destinations). In 1771, over 47 million pounds of tobacco were imported.However, the credit the Glaswegians extended to American tobacco farmers would backfire. The debts incurred by the tobacco farmers – which included future presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (who almost lost his farm as a result) – grew, and were among the grievances when the American War of Independence came in 1775. That war destroyed the tobacco trade for the Glaswegians. Much of the money that was owed to them was never repaid. Many of their plantations were lost. But the Glaswegians were entrepreneurial and they adapted. They moved on to other businesses, particularly cotton.By the 19th century, all sorts of local industry had emerged around the goods traded in the city. It was producing and exporting textiles, chemicals, engineered goods and steel. River engineering projects to dredge and deepen the Clyde (with a view to forming a deep- water port) had begun in 1768 and they would enable shipbuilding to become a major industry on the upper reaches of the river, pioneered by industrialists such as Robert Napier and John Elder. The final stretch of the Monkland Canal, linking the Forth and Clyde Canal at Port Dundas, was opened in 1795, facilitating access to the iron-ore and coal mines of Lanarkshire.The move to fossil-fuelled shipping in the latter 19th century destroyed the advantages that the trade winds had given Glasgow. But it didn't matter. Again, the people adapted. By the turn of the 20th century the Second City of the British Empire had become a world centre of industry and heavy engineering. It has been estimated that, between 1870 and 1914, it produced as much as one-fifth of the world's ships, and half of Britain's tonnage. Among the 25,000 ships it produced were some of the greatest ever built: the Cutty Sark, the Queen Mary, HMS Hood, the Lusitania, the Glenlee tall ship and even the iconic Mississippi paddle steamer, the Delta Queen. It had also become a centre for locomotive manufacture and, shortly after the turn of the 20th century, could boast the largest concentration of locomotive building works in Europe.It was not just Glasgow's industry and wealth that was so gargantuan. The city's contribution to mankind – made possible by the innovation and progress that comes with booming economies – would also have an international impact. Many great inventors either hailed from Glasgow or moved there to study or work. There's James Watt, for example, whose improvements to the steam engine were fundamental to the Industrial Revolution. One of Watt's employees, William Murdoch, has been dubbed ‘the Scot who lit the world' – he invented gas lighting, a new kind of steam cannon and waterproof paint. Charles MacIntosh gave us the raincoat. James Young, the chemist dubbed as ‘the father of the oil industry', gave us paraffin. William Thomson, known as Lord Kelvin, developed the science of thermodynamics, formulating the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature; he also managed the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable.The turning point in the economic fortunes of Glasgow – indeed, of industrial Britain – was WWI. Both have been in decline ever since. By the end of the war, the British were drained, both emotionally and in terms of capital and manpower; the workers, the entrepreneurs, the ideas men, too many of them were dead or incapacitated. There was insufficient money and no appetite to invest. The post-war recession, and later the Great Depression, did little to help. The trend of the city was now one of inexorable economic decline.If Glasgow was the home of shipping and industry in 19th-century Britain, it became the home of socialism in the 20th century. Known by some as the ‘Red Clydeside' movement, the socialist tide in Scotland actually pre-dated the First World War. In 1906 came the city's first Labour Member of Parliament (MP), George Barnes – prior to that its seven MPs were all Conservatives or Liberal Unionists. In the spring of 1911, 11,000 workers at the Singer sewing-machine factory (run by an American corporation in Clydebank) went on strike to support 12 women who were protesting about new work practices. Singer sacked 400 workers, but the movement was growing – as was labour unrest. In the four years between 1910 and 1914 Clydebank workers spent four times as many days on strike than in the whole of the previous decade. The Scottish Trades Union Congress and its affiliations saw membership rise from 129,000 in 1909 to 230,000 in 1914.20The rise in discontent had much to do with Glasgow's housing. Conditions were bad, there was overcrowding, bad sanitation, housing was close to dirty, noxious and deafening industry. Unions grew quite organically to protect the interests of their members.Then came WWI, and inflation, as Britain all but abandoned gold. In 1915 many landlords responded by attempting to increase rent, but with their young men on the Western front, those left behind didn't have the means to pay these higher costs. If they couldn't, eviction soon followed. In Govan, an area of Glasgow where shipbuilding was the main occupation, women – now in the majority with so many men gone – organized opposition to the rent increases. There are photographs showing women blocking the entrance to tenements; officers who did get inside to evict tenants are said to have had their trousers pulled down.The landlords were attacked for being unpatriotic. Placards read: ‘While our men are fighting on the front line,the landlord is attacking us at home.' The strikes spread to other cities throughout the UK, and on 27 November 1915 the government introduced legislation to restrict rents to the pre-war level. The strikers were placated. They had won. The government was happy; it had dealt with the problem. The landlords lost out.In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917, more frequent strikes crippled the city. In 1919 the ‘Bloody Friday' uprising prompted the prime minister, David Lloyd George, to deploy 10,000 troops and tanks onto the city's streets. By the 1930s Glasgow had become the main base of the Independent Labour Party, so when Labour finally came to power alone after WWII, its influence was strong. Glasgow has always remained a socialist stronghold. Labour dominates the city council, and the city has not had a Conservative MP for 30 years.By the late 1950s, Glasgow was losing out to the more competitive industries of Japan, Germany and elsewhere. There was a lack of investment. Union demands for workers, enforced by government legislation, made costs uneconomic and entrepreneurial activity arduous. With lack of investment came lack of innovation.Rapid de-industrialization followed, and by the 1960s and 70s most employment lay not in manufacturing, but in the service industries.Which brings us to today. On the plus side, Glasgow is still ranked as one of Europe's top 20 financial centres and is home to some leading Scottish businesses. But there is considerable downside.Recent studies have suggested that nearly 30% of Glasgow's working age population is unemployed. That's 50% higher than that of the rest of Scotland or the UK. Eighteen per cent of 16- to 19-year-olds are neither in school nor employed. More than one in five working-age Glaswegians have no sort of education that might qualify them for a job.In the city centre, the Merchant City, 50% of children are growing up in homes where nobody works. In the poorer neighbourhoods, such as Ruchill, Possilpark, or Dalmarnock, about 65% of children live in homes where nobody works – more than three times the national average. Figures from the Department of Work and Pensions show that 85% of working age adults from the district of Bridgeton claim some kind of welfare payment.Across the city, almost a third of the population regularly receives sickness or incapacity benefit, the highest rate of all UK cities. A 2008 World Health Organization report noted that in Glasgow's Calton, Bridgeton and Queenslie neighbourhoods, the average life expectancy for males is only 54. In contrast, residents of Glasgow's more affluent West End live to be 80 and virtually none of them are on the dole.Glasgow has the highest crime rate in Scotland. A recent report by the Centre for Social Justice noted that there are 170 teenage gangs in Glasgow. That's the same number as in London, which has over six times the population of Glasgow.It also has the dubious record of being Britain's murder capital. In fact, Glasgow had the highest homicide rate in Western Europe until it was overtaken in 2012 by Amsterdam, with more violent crime per head of population than even New York. What's more, its suicide rate is the highest in the UK.Then there are the drug and alcohol problems. The residents of the poorer neighbourhoods are an astounding six times more likely to die of a drugs overdose than the national average. Drug-related mortality has increased by 95% since 1997. There are 20,000 registered drug users – that's just registered – and the situation is not going to get any better: children who grow up in households where family members use drugs are seven times more likely to end up using drugs themselves than children who live in drug-free families.Glasgow has the highest incidence of liver diseases from alcohol abuse in all of Scotland. In the East End district of Dennistoun, these illnesses kill more people than heart attacks and lung cancer combined. Men and women are more likely to die of alcohol-related deaths in Glasgow than anywhere else in the UK. Time and time again Glasgow is proud winner of the title ‘Fattest City in Britain'. Around 40% of the population are obese – 5% morbidly so – and it also boasts the most smokers per capita.I have taken these statistics from an array of different sources. It might be in some cases that they're overstated. I know that I've accentuated both the 18th- and 19th-century positives, as well as the 20th- and 21st-century negatives to make my point. Of course, there are lots of healthy, happy people in Glasgow – I've done many gigs there and I loved it. Despite the stories you hear about intimidating Glasgow audiences, the ones I encountered were as good as any I've ever performed in front of. But none of this changes the broad-brush strokes: Glasgow was a once mighty city that now has grave social problems. It is a city that is not fulfilling its potential in the way that it once did. All in all, it's quite a transformation. How has it happened?Every few years a report comes out that highlights Glasgow's various problems. Comments are then sought from across the political spectrum. Usually, those asked to comment agree that the city has grave, ‘long-standing and deep-rooted social problems' (the words of Stephen Purcell, former leader of Glasgow City Council); they agree that something needs to be done, though they don't always agree on what that something is.There's the view from the right: Bill Aitken of the Scottish Conservatives, quoted in The Sunday Times in 2008, said, ‘We simply don't have the jobs for people who are not academically inclined. Another factor is that some people are simply disinclined to work. We have got to find something for these people to do, to give them a reason to get up in the morning and give them some self-respect.' There's the supposedly apolitical view of anti-poverty groups: Peter Kelly, director of the Glasgow-based Poverty Alliance, responded, ‘We need real, intensive support for people if we are going to tackle poverty. It's not about a lack of aspiration, often people who are unemployed or on low incomes are stymied by a lack of money and support from local and central government.' And there's the view from the left. In the same article, Patricia Ferguson, the Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Maryhill, also declared a belief in government regeneration of the area. ‘It's about better housing, more jobs, better education and these things take years to make an impact. I believe that the huge regeneration in the area is fostering a lot more community involvement and cohesion. My real hope is that these figures will take a knock in the next five or ten years.' At the time of writing in 2013, five years later, the figures have worsened.All three points of view agree on one thing: the government must do something.In 2008 the £435 million Fairer Scotland Fund – established to tackle poverty – was unveiled, aiming to allocate cash to the country's most deprived communities. Its targets included increasing average income among lower wage-earners and narrowing the poverty gap between Scotland's best- and worst-performing regions by 2017. So far, it hasn't met those targets.In 2008 a report entitled ‘Power for The Public' examined the provision of health, education and justice in Scotland. It said the budgets for these three areas had grown by 55%, 87% and 44% respectively over the last decade, but added that this had produced ‘mixed results'. ‘Mixed results' means it didn't work. More money was spent and the figures got worse.After the Centre for Social Justice report on Glasgow in 2008, Iain Duncan Smith (who set up this think tank, and is now the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) said, ‘Policy must deal with the pathways to breakdown – high levels of family breakdown, high levels of failed education, debt and unemployment.'So what are ‘pathways to breakdown'? If you were to look at a chart of Glasgow's prosperity relative to the rest of the world, its peak would have come somewhere around 1910. With the onset of WWI in 1914 its decline accelerated, and since then the falls have been relentless and inexorable. It's not just Glasgow that would have this chart pattern, but the whole of industrial Britain. What changed the trend? Yes, empires rise and fall, but was British decline all a consequence of WWI? Or was there something else?A seismic shift came with that war – a change which is very rarely spoken or written about. Actually, the change was gradual and it pre-dated 1914. It was a change that was sweeping through the West: that of government or state involvement in our lives. In the UK it began with the reforms of the Liberal government of 1906–14, championed by David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill, known as the ‘terrible twins' by contemporaries. The Pensions Act of 1908, the People's Budget of 1909–10 (to ‘wage implacable warfare against poverty', declared Lloyd George) and the National Insurance Act of 1911 saw the Liberal government moving away from its tradition of laissez-faire systems – from classical liberalism and Gladstonian principles of self-help and self-reliance – towards larger, more active government by which taxes were collected from the wealthy and the proceeds redistributed. Afraid of losing votes to the emerging Labour party and the increasingly popular ideology of socialism, modern liberals betrayed their classical principles. In his War Memoirs, Lloyd George said ‘the partisan warfare that raged around these topics was so fierce that by 1913, this country was brought to the verge of civil war'. But these were small steps. The Pensions Act, for example, meant that men aged 70 and above could claim between two and five shillings per week from the government. But average male life- expectancy then was 47. Today it's 77. Using the same ratio, and, yes, I'm manipulating statistics here, that's akin to only awarding pensions to people above the age 117 today. Back then it was workable.To go back to my analogy of the prologue, this period was when the ‘train' was set in motion across the West. In 1914 it went up a gear. Here are the opening paragraphs of historian A. J. P. Taylor's most celebrated book, English History 1914–1945, published in 1965.I quote this long passage in full, because it is so telling.Until August 1914 a sensible, law-abiding Englishman could pass through life and hardly notice the existence of the state, beyond the post office and the policeman. He could live where he liked and as he liked. He had no official number or identity card. He could travel abroad or leave his country forever without a passport or any sort of official permission. He could exchange his money for any other currency without restriction or limit. He could buy goods from any country in the world on the same terms as he bought goods at home. For that matter, a foreigner could spend his life in this country without permit and without informing the police. Unlike the countries of the European continent, the state did not require its citizens to perform military service. An Englishman could enlist, if he chose, in the regular army, the navy, or the territorials. He could also ignore, if he chose, the demands of national defence. Substantial householders were occasionally called on for jury service. Otherwise, only those helped the state, who wished to do so. The Englishman paid taxes on a modest scale: nearly £200 million in 1913–14, or rather less than 8% of the national income.The state intervened to prevent the citizen from eating adulterated food or contracting certain infectious diseases. It imposed safety rules in factories, and prevented women, and adult males in some industries,from working excessive hours.The state saw to it that children received education up to the age of 13. Since 1 January 1909, it provided a meagre pension for the needy over the age of 70. Since 1911, it helped to insure certain classes of workers against sickness and unemployment. This tendency towards more state action was increasing. Expenditure on the social services had roughly doubled since the Liberals took office in 1905. Still, broadly speaking, the state acted only to help those who could not help themselves. It left the adult citizen alone.All this was changed by the impact of the Great War. The mass of the people became, for the first time, active citizens. Their lives were shaped by orders from above; they were required to serve the state instead of pursuing exclusively their own affairs. Five million men entered the armed forces, many of them (though a minority) under compulsion. The Englishman's food was limited, and its quality changed, by government order. His freedom of movement was restricted; his conditions of work prescribed. Some industries were reduced or closed, others artificially fostered. The publication of news was fettered. Street lights were dimmed. The sacred freedom of drinking was tampered with: licensed hours were cut down, and the beer watered by order. The very time on the clocks was changed. From 1916 onwards, every Englishman got up an hour earlier in summer than he would otherwise have done, thanks to an act of parliament. The state established a hold over its citizens which, though relaxed in peacetime, was never to be removed and which the Second World war was again to increase. The history of the English state and of the English people merged for the first time.Since the beginning of WWI , the role that the state has played in our lives has not stopped growing. This has been especially so in the case of Glasgow. The state has spent more and more, provided more and more services, more subsidy, more education, more health care, more infrastructure, more accommodation, more benefits, more regulations, more laws, more protection. The more it has provided, the worse Glasgow has fared. Is this correlation a coincidence? I don't think so.The story of the rise and fall of Glasgow is a distilled version of the story of the rise and fall of industrial Britain – indeed the entire industrial West. In the next chapter I'm going to show you a simple mistake that goes on being made; a dynamic by which the state, whose very aim was to help Glasgow, has actually been its ‘pathway to breakdown' . . .Life After the State is available at Amazon, Apple Books and all good bookshops, with the audiobook at Audible, Apple Books and all good audiobookshops. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

The founder of TheOnion.com, a best-selling author with over 30 published books including the million-copy #1 bestseller Our Dumb Century, and a creative catalyst and coach. In his 20s, he created the comic strip Jim's Journal, which ran in over 100 college newspapers and spawned a self-published book collection that made the New York Times bestseller list. He helped create The Onion and led it from small college newspaper to internationally known humor brand. He founded The AV Club. He won the Thurber Prize for American Humor and a Peabody Award.  Scott has authored over 30 books,. Entertainment Weekly placed him on their “It List” of the top 100 entertainers in Hollywood. He amassed millions of social media fans, performed on Saturday Night Live and on stages around the world. His video shorts are viral hits online with millions of views. He founded How to Write Funny in 2014 in partnership with the Second City training center in Chicago, sharing his signature method for unleashing creativity and writing humor. His students have gone on to win Emmys, Grammys, and Oscars.

Jeremy Piven, coming to St. Paul for a standup comedy show, joins Chad to talk about his career in TV and film, transitioning to standup, his young life and the lessons he learned about performing while working at Second City in Chicago.

George Wendt was a comedy legend. His work at Chicago's Second City, international fame through the sitcom Cheers and even time on Broadway. Amy & JJ remember the legend and have some surprising facts for you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can spontaneity and scholarship go together? “Yes and…”  In this episode of Speaking of Higher Ed, we welcome Dr. Meredith Rausch—Associate Professor of Research, Counseling & Curriculum at Augusta University's College of Education and Human Development. An NBCC Servant Leadership Award recipient and Augusta University Outstanding Faculty Award winner, Dr. Rausch's award‑winning research on underserved populations informs her inclusive approach to teaching. We trace her journey from the classroom to Chicago's famed Second City, where immersive improv training sparked her “A‑ha” moment: recognizing that the same principles that make improv so engaging—active listening, embracing failure, and building on others' ideas—can transform scholarly instruction. Dr. Rausch then shares improv‑inspired strategies for the classroom—from quick “yes, and…” warm‑ups to collaborative storytelling exercises—that foster creativity, build community, and help both faculty and students adapt in real time. Join us to discover how weaving improv into your pedagogy can spark curiosity, deepen engagement, and make learning more dynamic. Get free access to more of our content, visit our show page for full episodes and additional resources. 

George Wendt, best known for his iconic role as Norm Peterson on NBC's 'Cheers.' has passed away at age 76, leaving behind a legacy admired by many. The episode highlights his career, including his six consecutive Emmy nominations, his work with Second City, and memorable moments from 'Cheers' and its spinoffs. Johnny Mac also shares personal anecdotes from Wendt's life, including his family connections and a fun anecdote about Bono.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news--4522158/support.

We lost a comedic icon on this date in 1989, when ovarian cancer took Gilda Radner from us far too early. Bob Sirott dug into his ‘Dumpster of Memories’ to grab an interview he did with the Second City alumnus in November of 1979 when Radner was in town to do a show at McCormick […]

Liz Allen Buries the Lede  Our season 5 closer is a real treat! We have an incredible guest, Liz Allen, improv performer, director, coach, teacher and guru Liz Allen. Liz has performed and coached improv for 32 years! She works primarily out of iO in Chicago, (This is a big deal people!) but she has performed and coached improv all over the world, notably at the Edinburgh Fringe and, oh, by the way, she coached The Commune, the improv ensemble in Mike Birbiglia's 2016 feature film Don't Think Twice, NBD. (This actually blows Sarah's mind as Mike Birbiglia is her fave comedian.) Recently, Liz has been delving into solo show writing and performance, she recently performed her first solo show, Tonight I Am My Mother, and is completing her next solo show, There Were Signs, about her years in Las Vegas with her husband and their offspring. This is how Sarah met Liz, on an online solo show class with The Barrow Group, which is one good thing we can say about the pandemic. Okay, she sounds amazing, but how does she end up as a guest on Comedicine? Well, before discovering improv, Liz was a mechanical engineer! What? She worked for fifteen years as a consulting engineer and pharmaceutical technical writer. One night, on a lark, she joined some friends seeing a show at The Second City in downtown Chicago…and Liz got bit by improv. Do engineering and improv mesh? You be the judge!  www.lizallenimprov.com lizallenimprov@comcast.net www.tonightiammymother.com  Thank you to our season 5 title sponsor, Scribenote! Scribenote is an AI-powered veterinary scribe that saves you hours of record-keeping every day, boosts clinic efficiency, and helps you leave work on time.  Promo code: COMEDICINE15 for 15% off Scribenote for 1 year Link: https://app.scribenote.com/auth/register?referralCode=Comedicine-Bonus (use this link to double the regular free trial usage!)Thanks for listening to Comedicine! Send is a text to let us know what you think!Instagram @comedicine_comedyComedicine FacebookYour host, Dr Sarah BostonDr Sarah Boston is a veterinary surgical oncologist (cancer surgeon for dogs and cats), cancer survivor (ironic, right?), bestselling author, actor and stand up comedian. She is a 2023 graduate of the Humber College Comedy Performance and Writing Program. She is the 2023 recipient of the Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award, which recognizes and supports promising comedic performers in the early stages of their career She is also the recipient of the Award for Academic Excellence from Humber College because she is a nerd in all aspects of her life. Instagram @drsarahboston www.Drsarahboston.com Representation Book Musical Genius Mark Edwards

Did you know that seven words can change your life? Jerry Giordano is an award-winning advertising copywriter/Creative Director working and living in NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin and Dallas. He is a co-producer of TEDx events, penned four screenplays, studied comedy at Chicago's Second City, and performed sketch comedy in NYC and LA. He collects old cameras, photographs manhole covers, is a JFK assassination nut, meditates, and lives in the moment. He's also the author of Your 7 Words to a Happier You; unlock the story sabotaging your relationships. In this episode:What is “Your 7 Words to a Happier You” about?What does “unlock the story sabotaging your relationships” mean?What the discovery of the 7-word sabotaging story done for relationships What the 7 words have to do with getting into one dysfunctional or narcissistic relationship after anotherConnect with JerryFB https://www.facebook.com/jerrygiordano LI www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-giordano-52344a5TikTok  https://www.tiktok.com/@jerry.giordano     IG https://www.instagram.com/JERRYGIORDANOAUTHOR   ►Please subscribe/rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts http://bit.ly/lastfirstdateradio ►If you're feeling stuck in dating and relationships and would like to find your last first date, sign up for a complimentary 45-minute breakthrough session with Sandy https://lastfirstdate.com/application ►Join Your Last First Date on Facebook https://facebook.com/groups/yourlastfirstdate ►Get Sandy's books, Becoming a Woman of Value; How to Thrive in Life and Love https://bit.ly/womanofvaluebook , Choice Points in Dating https://amzn.to/3jTFQe9 and Love at Last https://amzn.to/4erpj7C ►Get FREE coaching on the podcast! https://bit.ly/LFDradiocoaching ►FREE download: “Top 10 Reasons Why Men Suddenly Pull Away” http://bit.ly/whymendisappear ►Group Coaching: https://lastfirstdate.com/the-woman-of-value-club/ ►Website → https://lastfirstdate.com/ ► Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/lastfirstdate1/ ►Get Amazon Music Unlimited FREE for 30 days at https://getamazonmusic.com/lastfirstdate  

Lila McLaughlin is a screenwriter based in her hometown, Los Angeles. She currently writes for TV/Film projects for various producers in comedy, action, thriller, drama and sci-fi. She has a university Bachelor's degree in Political Science and is also an alum of the renowned The Second City. She has sold and written for independent productions and studios, including CBS, and was the 2nd Unit Director and Assistant Director on the award-winning independent feature film Hero Man. Lila has 3 comedy feature films optioned with Voltage Pictures, Fortitude International, and Big Cat Productions, in various stages of prep. Lila is also a recent published author in 2018 with her book G.I. Hollywood published by Heritage Builders Publishing and sold on Amazon, in Barnes & Noble and bookstores nationwide.

This is a preview of The Weekender edition of the Muckrake Podcast. Please go to our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ to gain access to the regular Weekender episodes on Fridays. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss the first American Pope who hails from the Second City. Next up is a brewing conflict between Pakistan and India that has deep ramifications. While Israel plans to take over Gaza completely, the US is trying to deport people to war zones and force other countries to buy Starlink as part of trade negotiations. Corruption: what is it? They finish the pod on John Fetterman and his mental deterioration after suffering a stroke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we talk about David Cronenberg, The Shrouds, the Station 11 series, Thunderbolts*, Movies we're looking forward to, Second City, The Monkey, Come Play, Crime Scene Cleaner, 12 o'clock High, Greyhound, Matrix 2, Magnificent 7, collectible cards, Pogs, The Superfriends, Xbox raises prices, Clayface resets, Neflix goes Tok, Marvel changes the name of Thunderbolts, Alex Ross on Display, and Clockwork Torgo: Field of Dreams. So, build it already, it's time for a GeekShock!

Send us a textSari Beliak is a really talented writer and comedian in Phoenix, Ariz. She took sketch classes at Second City in Los Angeles and began writing for The Hard Times and the Reductress before transitioning her comedy chops onto the stage. She's been doing stand-up for about nine years -- on top of writing for The Onion -- and just released her debut album, "Dead Dog Mom," which was No. 1 on iTunes, ahead of Christopher Titus, Weird Al and Jim Gaffigan. She recorded the album at the Altercation Comedy Festival last November with the help of JT Haaberstadt and Brandie Posey, the founder of Burn This Records. Follow Sari Beliak: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saribeliak/Website: https://saribeliak.journoportfolio.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC36Mjg5YREini9EbQY4gjXwSupport the show

Chicago icon Jeremy Piven joins Brian & Kenzie for an intimate and exclusive conversation about touring in Second City with Chris Farley, how Piven's career dramatically changed after 'Entourage', his first TV gig on 'The Larry Sanders Show' and how it led to a 'Seinfeld' audition, and so much more! Jeremy Piven brings his standup tour to The Vic Theater on June 6. https://www.jamusa.com/events/detail/jeremy-piven-live-756929 Chicago’s best morning radio show now has a podcast! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and remember that the conversation always lives on the Q101 Facebook page. Brian & Kenzie are live every morning from 6a-10a on Q101. Subscribe to our channel HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@Q101 Like Q101 on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/q101chicago Follow Q101 on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/Q101Chicago Follow Q101 on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/q101chicago/?hl=en Follow Q101 on TikTok HERE: https://www.tiktok.com/@q101chicago?lang=enSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jimmy Pardo is a stand-up comedian, actor, and host of the podcast Never Not Funny. Jimmy grew up in Chicago, where he performed at Second City, and worked in the music business. He was encouraged to first try standup by a young Bob Odenkirk, and came up in the Chicago comedy scene. Jimmy then moved to Los Angeles, where he became a regular at The Improv, as well as the original Largo location with fellow "alt" comics like Paul F. Tompkins, Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman, David Cross, and Mary Lynn Rajskub. He later became the warm-up comic for the short-lived Conan O'Brien version of The Tonight Show, and CONAN on TBS.Jimmy and Will talk about their time together at CONAN, finding one's voice as a comic, and his incredible run as the host of Never Not Funny. He and cohost Matt Belknap started the podcast in 2006, and at one point it was the #1 podcast in the world. Will shares what it was like engineering Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend during the early days of the podcast, and the two discuss the current state of podcasting at a pivotable time for the industry.Recorded at Jett Road Studios------------------LIFE IN COMEDYInstagramJETT ROAD STUDIOSWebsiteInstagramYouTube

An hour packed full of energetic House and Tech House music delivered straight to your ears! ⚡️Like the Show? Click the [Repost] ↻ button so more people can hear it!

Send us a textIn this episode we interview Ben Larrison, Senior Director, Brand and Content Marketing at Basis Technologies and former touring performer with Second City.What you'll learn in this episode:How improv principles like "yes, and…” can sharpen your marketing instinctsWhy audience connection is a listening game, not a shouting matchLessons from the stage: turning laughter into trust and relatability in contentHow emotional truth builds stronger brand storytellingWhen to use humor—and when to hold back—to keep content compellingWhat content marketers can learn from sketch writing and live feedbackWhy comedy isn't just about being funny—it's about being understood

Nick Johne is a beloved Canadian actor and improviser. We first met in 2017 at the Chicago "Yes, and Mental Health & Improv Conference" and did a podcast in 2018. After getting a degree in Microbiology he began his improv journey in Toronto and joined the Toronto Second City Troupe in 1991. He moved to Chicago to Second City Chicago where he taught and also in the Theater Department of DePaul University. He developed the Improv Anxiety classes at Second City. He has a daughter who is neurodiverse and that inspired him to develop a teach Improv for ASD. He is a "stay at home" and "chauffeur" for his daughter, Emma, a gifted vocalist. He and Second City faculty Lisa Bany, will return to the Orlando Center for Autism this year to teach Improv for Students on the Autism Spectrum.

In Episode 353 of Airey Bros Radio, we're joined by Mick Betancourt — writer, executive producer of Amazon's Reacher, stand-up comic, and proud former wrestler. From a tough upbringing on Chicago's West Side to breaking through as a Hollywood storyteller, Mick's journey is a masterclass in grit, grace, and getting back up.This episode is packed with raw storytelling, powerful mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes gems for wrestlers, writers, and working-class dreamers alike.

Today on another encore episode of the Rarified Heir Podcast this Earth Day, we are talking to journalist Michael Simmons, son of National Lampoon co-founder & film producer Matt Simmons. We loved talking to Michael because there is so much history in the (almost) forgotten history of American humor magazine turned pop culture juggernaut, National Lampoon. Michael gives us behind the scenes stories about the fabled National Lampoon editorial offices in Manhattan circa 1974 which was a breeding ground for comedy and specifically Saturday Night Live writers and performers. We discuss National Lampoon stage shows with Chevy Chase, Harold Ramis, John Belushi & Gilda Radner that Michael was road manager when it hit the road. We hear about his dad's strange history as one of the founders the first credit card company, Diner's Club in the 1950s & how it led to National Lampoon. We even get into the history of how National Lampoon came into existence, birthed out of the Harvard Lampoon and even before that. Michael gives us a firsthand account of what it was like being in the offices of National Lampoon before and after films like National Lampoon's Animal House & National Lampoon's Vacation launched the brand mainstream. What's more we hear stories about Harold Ramis got nervous flyer Gilda Radner on a plane she didn't want to get on, Wilt Chamberlain giving him a ride on his shoulders and how he became an award winning journalist in Los Angeles writing about vice squad busts and later, music journalism. So sit back and take a listen to a fascinating story about how National Lampoon begat everything from Second City and This is Spinal Tap to SCTV and The Credibility Gap. It's all here on the Rarified Heir Podcast. Take a listen.

Second City began training and entertaining back in 1959 and has not stopped since. Producing talents including Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Dan Aykroyd, Tiny Fey, Amy Poehler, Bill Murray, Jane Lynch….the list is endless. Each year new students get trained to enter the field of comedic improv, or to just enhance their lives by confronting […]

Send us a textThis week WN2T The Masters, Blue Origin Flight, North of North, RHOBH Reunion, Dying for Sex, Ransom Canyon, Mob Land, Dope Thief, Your Friends and Neighbors, The Trial of Karen Reed, Cloud 23 Hot Sauce, THe Knicks Win, Check Registers, Second City and SO MUCH MORE 

Backstage With Becca B. Episode 179 with guest John Kapelos is now LIVE on YouTube. On this episode, I talked with John about the challenges of building theater communities in L.A., his early days in Chicago's collaborative scene, and how support from his father and a role at Second City helped launch his career, how the digital age has reshaped the entertainment industry and brought more opportunities but also more competition, his thoughts on the evolution of storytelling in film and TV, his current show Aristotle/Alexander at Company Of Angels where he stars as Isocrates, historical narratives, focusing on Alexander the Great and his complex relationship with Aristotle, the psychological layers of leadership, the influence of mentorship, how these ancient stories can still resonate today, and much more!

Kate Flannery is an actor, singer, and writer best known for her nine seasons as Meredith on NBC's hit show “The Office.” She was also a fan favorite on ABC's “Dancing With the Stars,” and wowed viewers as Starfish on The Masked Singer.  She's also co-starred recently with Rita Moreno in The Prank, currently streaming on Apple TV. Other credits include appearances on Young Sheldon, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and New Girl, plus indie films like the hit Golden Arm (100% Rotten Tomatoes). She's also a proud alumni member of Chicago's Second City.   We covered the following topics: Second City & Improv Favourite Memories from Second City Landing the Role of Meredith on ‘The Office' “Do Nothing!” – Auditioning for ‘The Office' Creating Meredith Palmer What Made ‘The Office' Special Working With Steve Carell Working With Rainn Wilson Working With John Krasinski Favourite Memories of ‘The Office' Doing My Own Stunts Guest Staring on Other Shows Working on Independent Films Dancing With The Stars Working With Rita Moreno  What I'm Most Proud Of Following Your Dreams Is Sacred My Three Dinner Guests Every week, the RUN GPG Podcast aims to provide inspirational stories from people who made a mark in entrepreneurship, entertainment, personal development, and the real estate industry. It is produced by the GREATER PROPERTY GROUP to help the audience grow and scale their business and their life. Know more about GREATER PROPERTY GROUP and the RUN GPG Podcast by going to www.rungpg.com or by getting in touch with us here: info@greaterpropertygroup.com. Contact Kate Flannery: Instagram: instagram.com/therealkateflannery Facebook: facebook.com/therealKateFlannery Contact David Morrell: TikTok: tiktok.com/@morrellionaire Instagram: instagram.com/thegreaterdavid/ Twitter: twitter.com/fearofdavid Subscribe & Review The RUN GPG Podcast Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode of the RUN GPG Podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes. This will help us continue delivering beneficial content for you and our listeners each week!

In this inspiring and FUN episode of Follow Your Fing Dreams, I sit down with LA based actor, writer, comedian, and creativity coach Mayur Chauhan to talk about what it truly means to CARE for your inner artist—with love, patience, and a cup of chai. We chat about everything from protecting your creativity like a child, dealing with criticism, prepping for a stand-up show, what actually makes comedy funny, and even the quest for the perfect chai recipe. Mayur opens up about the vulnerability of early creative work, why feedback timing matters and how to deal with criticism.With over 25 pieces published in McSweeney's, acting credits on The Rookie, Welcome to Chippendales, courses at Second City, and a passion for helping artists through his C.A.R.E for Artists program, Mayur brings both deep insight and serious laughs to this conversation.This episode is full of gold for anyone navigating the ups and downs of the creative path—especially if your artist needs a hug.

TCB Infomercial - Episode #726: Bryan & Krissy welcome The Office cast member Kate Flannery. Playing the frisky, ornery and possibly intoxicated Meredith Palmer, Kate joined the ensemble early in its run and quickly became a fan favorite. Kate shares her long road to the front doors of Dunder Mifflin. From a near casting on SNL to improv work with Second City, Kate proves that the overnight success' never happen overnight. KATE'S LINKS: Follow Kate on Instagram Watch EP #726 on YouTube! Text us or leave us a voicemail: +1 (212) 433-3TCB FOLLOW US: Instagram:  @thecommercialbreak Youtube: youtube.com/thecommercialbreak TikTok: @tcbpodcast Website: www.tcbpodcast.com CREDITS: Hosts: Bryan Green & Krissy Hoadley Executive Producer: Bryan Green Producer: Astrid B. Green Voice Over: Rachel McGrath TCBits Written & Produced by Bryan Green To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Part One.Erin Diehl dreamed of being the next Oprah but ended up becoming the queen of corporate improv instead. Now the founder and CEO of Improve It, she helps teams laugh their way to better performance. A self-declared “failfluencer,” Erin turns every faceplant into a feature. In this two-part series, we dig into her journey, her joy-first philosophy, and why bombing on stage—or in life—might be the best thing that ever happened to you.Key Highlights of Our Interview:Improv Meets the Corporate World“I didn't plan to merge improv and business. But during my nine-to-five at a recruiting firm, my nights were dedicated to stages at Second City and ImprovOlympic. Suddenly, I saw how listening, empathy, and quick thinking from improv transformed my work life. The dots connected.”United We Innovate“Pitching an improv workshop to United Airlines was a gamble, but it paid off—literally. What started as a passion experiment became a calling when United became my first paying client. Improv wasn't just for the stage anymore.”The Teacher's High“That feeling of guiding someone toward growth is intoxicating. It's a high I kept chasing, and the more I taught, the more I wanted to do it. Seeing others find joy became my own source of joy.”From ROI to ROO: The Objective Shift“We don't measure ROI; we measure ROO—Return on Objective. Every engagement starts with a consult call to pinpoint your specific challenges and objectives, ensuring everything aligns with the participants' needs.”Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Erin Diehl  --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.10 Million+ All-Time Downloads.Reaching 80+ Countries Daily.Global Top 3% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>130,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.

I loved this conversation so much!!!!! Full disclosure, we kept thinking of things to talk about, so enjoy our many "endings" that turned into other stories LOL Brian Stack played Ted in Article Two, and the jeweler when Ann and Chris go to the jewelery store, BUT he was a writer on Conan for 18 years, he currently writes for Stephen Colbert and I talked his ear off about it all! We discuss his beginnings in Second City in Chicago, how he knew Amy Poehler, and advice for young sketch performers. I ask 800 questions about his Conan characters too and it's so cool to see the inception of it all! We also got some great behind the scenes tidbits about cracking an egg on Amy Poehler's head and how he was glad they used a stunt man! Plus, we discuss New Girl, 30 Rock and more shows he was a guest star on! Brian is the nicest, most grateful person and I am so lucky and honored to have spoken with him about his time in this industry! His gratitude is inspiring and I wish him nothing but the best. Please be sure to check out this compilation of characters, and check out his writing on the Colbert Show!!!!! Brian Stack Supercut:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLumXv6fUZ4Support the showRate and review us on Apple Podcasts!Follow us @parkpalspodcast on Instagram! Or email us at parkpalspodcast@gmail.com

Today, we're joined by the incredibly talented Dewayne Perkins, a true multihyphenate who has carved his own path in Hollywood. From his early days in theater to sketch comedy and improv at Chicago's The Second City, Dewayne's passion for performance led him to writing and stand-up, ultimately shaping his journey as both a creator and actor. Dewayne shares his audition story of having to audition for his own project with The Blackening: a viral sketch he developed at Second City that evolved into a hit feature film. Beyond The Blackening, Dewayne has expanded his career into television, writing for Sausage Party and taking on a recurring role in Apple TV's upcoming series The Studio, where he plays Tyler, the head of publicity at Continental Studios. We dive into his creative process, his approach to auditions, and how he strategically navigates Hollywood by choosing projects and representation that align with his vision. These are the unforgettable stories that landed Dewayne Perkins right here. CREDITS: The Studio Clue The Blackening The Blackening Sequel The Upshaws Sausage Party: Foodtopia Brooklyn Nine-Nine Saved by the Bell One of Them Days The Amber Ruffin Show GUEST LINKS: IMDB: Dewayne Perkins, Writer, Actor, Producer THAT ONE AUDITION'S LINKS: For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition SELF-TAPE MAY: Starting May 1st, 2025: Sign Up HERE ($88) THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly PATREON: @thatoneaudition CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com ITUNES: Subscribe to That One Audition on iTunes SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher EPISODE CREDITS: WRITER: Erin McCluskey WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings ASSISTANT: Elle Powell SOCIAL OUTREACH: Alara Ceri

SUSIE MENDOZASusie is a screenwriter, producer, founder, and mom with a puppet brain. She is a graduate of The Second City and was a finalist for the CBS Writing Fellowship in 2020. Her digital series, DICK BUNNY, produced alongside EP/director Katie Locke O' Brienn and EP/Star Kim Griffin, premiered at The Austin Film Festival, going on to win at SeriesFest and HollyShorts in 2024. (Best Digital Series)Susie's essays are published on McSweeneys, Scary Mommy, Mom.com, and The Pregnant Chicken. An adaptation of her McSweeney's essay, "The Biggest Challenge of Parenting is becoming a Human Meat Suit", is being developed for adult animation. Her recent article, "Simple, Not Contradictory Rules to Motherhood," echoes the impossible societal expectations seen in DICK BUNNY. Susie's picture book NATTY AND MO, an odd-couple tale with a mental health twist, marks her debut as a children's book author/illustrator. She also created all of the illustrations seen in the series, DICK BUNNY.Susie is the founder of PRETTY PINK PICTURES is a female-focused independent film/tv production company. The company intends to take female writers and produce their work from script-to-screen. In today's uncertain landscape, they intend to cultivate hope, community, and opportunity by producing an entire season of indie TV. The indie film model, but for television.For more info about PRETTY PINK PICTURES: www.prettypinkpictures.com, @susiermendozaTo watch DICK BUNNY: www.dickbunny.comTo see a read-aloud video of "Natty and Mo", voiced by actress Rachel Bloom where she gets pee'd on by a live hedgehog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpqN-8ZDM3U&t=16s

Kelly Leonard, Vice President, Creative Strategy, Innovation and Business Development at The Second City and host of the “Getting to Yes, And…” podcast, joins John Williams to talk about a recent podcast he did with the University of Chicago Crime Lab and how Second City is embedded in a program using improv to practice communication skills. […]

This episode, Kalid and Joe are joined by regular guest host, Nicole Praska, as well as comedian/actor, Andy Assaf, who played Cravensworth's Monster on the final season of What We Do in the Shadows! We all chat about Andy's role in the series as well as all the macabre and monster-y fun the show has brought us over the years.​​*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!*Thank you to Jim Tandberg for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!*Shoutout to our Patreon Producer(s), Luke Johnson, Andy Groth, Jake Kohl & Joe Mischo!⁠⁠⁠Support us on Patreon!⁠Featured Guests:Andy Assaf is an improviser, sketch comedian, actor and filmmaker from Montreal. He's performed with The Montreal Improv Theatre and Second City and tours with his improv duo, Frank Mythic. Most recently, he was on the final season of What We Do in the Shadows as Cravensworth's Monster. Find him on Instagram @sweetandysour.Wife of the podcast and real-life scientist, Nicole Praska, is our recurring ‘ghost host' who always brings a new perspective to our topics. She currently co-hosts the semi-regular Star Trek podcast,⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Deep Space Love⁠⁠⁠⁠!References:Joe Pera Talks With YouMickey 17Paradise (Hulu)DoppelgangerDavid Tennant Does a Podcast with...A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay, narrated by Georgia Tennant & Kyle Soller Common Side Effects

Kelly talks with Dr. Sandy Jo MacArthur and Dr. Luanne Pannell from the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Second City’s Tyler Dean Kempf about the work we’re doing together bringing improvisation into the Policing Leadership Academy.  “Cops are dropped into a scene and they have to improv every single thing they do in the […]

One of the most renowned improv artists today best recognized from his 20 seasons as one of the stars of Whose Line Is It Anyway?  Colin currently tours the country with his two acclaimed shows – Asking For Trouble with Brad Sherwood. Colin & Brad had the honor of headlining at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. And then there is Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis with Master Hypnotist Asad which also tours after completing a successful Off-Broadway run. In addition, Colin can be seen starring in the feature films – Hey, Viktor!, a Canadian mockumentary and Villians Inc. Colin was a regular for nine years on the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Colin also finds to time reprise his role as private investigator Ralph Fellows in the Canadian mystery/crime drama The Murdoch Mysteries which airs on the Ovation Channel in the U.S. Other notable appearances include Amazon's LOL: Last One Laughing Canada where Colin took home first prize in the competitive series and a cameo role in the Kids In The Hall special which also aired on Amazon. Previously, Colin co-starred in CBC's TV movie A Christmas Letter, the theatrical film Boys vs. Girls opposite Kevin McDonald and was a featured in the documentary Act Social about the healing potential of applied improvisation. And last year, Colin received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Lead Performance for his role in the webcast Mass Hysterical: A Comedic Cantata. Colin also authored Not Quite the Classics, published by Viking Books where he takes the first and last lines from familiar classics and reimagines everything in between, taking the reader in bizarre and hilarious new directions. In 2018, Colin was honored alongside comedienne Andrea Martin with the inaugural recipients of Canada's John Candy Award for Excellence in Comedy. An alumnus of Toronto's famous Second City troupe and life-long resident of Canada, he and his wife, actress and comedian, Debra McGrath, enjoy performing their own improv shows throughout the Canada. They are proud parents of their daughter Kinley who is transgender and have become supporters of Welcome Friend Association's Rainbow Camp which provides for LBGTQ teens.

TV's Brad Sherwood stops by to talk about his life in improv, starting with Second City on the West Coast, getting on to "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", teaming up with Colin Mochrie, touring India and Ireland, and creating MC Rove. Plus, Brad, Matt, and Jonathan Mangum are doing a Bucket Show at Majestic Rep on Feb. 17, a squirrel invades Paul's sanctum, and a 2024 Scoopardy.