Camps - Chicago

Early Bird Pricing Available for: Days Hours Minutes Seconds Early Bird Sale Has Expired! *Don’t miss out on our early registration pricing for Summer Comedy Camps. Prices go up April…


Early Bird Pricing Available for:

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Early Bird Sale Has Expired!

*Don’t miss out on our early registration pricing for Summer Comedy Camps. Prices go up April 1st!

It’s time for a fun-filled summer with The Second City Comedy Camp! The same place where so many comedic legends began their journey… and now, your young one has the chance to follow in those same footsteps! Whether they’re a bit on the shy side, the life of the party, or simply brimming with curiosity, we welcome kids of all stripes and skills. Our camps, carefully designed for youngsters 7-18, are a whimsical playground of creativity and fun, guided by our first-class performers and teachers who specialize in bringing out the best in young talent.  

An epic summer of fun expertly led by our acclaimed Second City faculty!

In addition to our pro improv teachers, we will also have a staff of councilors on hand to help facilitate the fun, guiding campers through a whirlwind of exciting activities.

Registration open!

Spring Break: 3/25-29

Summer Camps:
6/10-14 & 6/17-21

We offer two payment plan options at checkout, 50/50 or weekly. The 50/50 payment plan allows you to pay half upfront. The other half will be automatically charged to your card 15 days later. The Weekly payment plan allows you to pay 20% upfront with an additional 20% charged every week thereafter until completed. If neither of those would work for you, our training center would be happy to discuss a customized plan that fits your needs. You can set up a custom payment plan by contacting studentsuccess@secondcity.com

Scholarships are available for our camp programs. For more information on applications and deadlines please visit our Scholarship page.

Advanced Comedy Camp: Ages 14-18

The Second City Advanced Comedy Camp is a fully comprehensive program that dives deep into the skills required to present a Second City-style revue.

*Prerequisite: must have completed 2 previous summer camp sessions or 1 year of improv training classes.

Activities

The Second City’s signature Comedy Camps for youth & teens are the perfect space for budding comedians or young people looking to spend the summer laughing and creating. 

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Participants are encouraged to explore the freedom of movement and self-expression while also developing a better understanding of theatricality and onstage performance techniques. Every day includes exciting new activities!

Campers explore the fundamentals of improv as taught and performed at The Second City and develop skills like creative thinking, self-confidence, listening, brainstorming, team building, empathy, and communication, all while having loads of laughs. They’re introduced to basic scene structure, the art of storytelling and character development through the study of classic Second City scenes and other written materials.

 

Mornings usually start with improvisation before moving into comedy writing and specialty skills (like stand-up comedy, satire-writing or clowning) after lunch. There are also breaks built into the morning and afternoon sessions.

Explore The Space!

Chicago Comedy Camps are located in the heart of Old Town, at our Second City Chicago Training Center. Campers will enter under the large marquee at 230 W North Avenue, Chicago IL.

FAQ's:

There is no before or after camp supervision available; the day runs 9am-4pm. Students are expected to be picked up promptly after camp ends. If you know ahead of time that you will need an earlier pick up or late drop-off, please let Student Success know so that it can get communicated to through the proper channels.

No problem. Just let us know so we know they won’t be attending that day by emailing studentsuccess@secondcity.com

Lunch is not provided. Campers need to bring a sack lunch and snack every day. We recommend a “cold lunch,” as we do not have a fridge for storing lunches. Campers will not be permitted to leave the building to get lunch.

We are a peanut free camp. Please refrain from bringing peanut and nut products. Please let us know if your child has any allergies. If you feel like your child might at any point need to use an EpiPen, we encourage them to bring one.

Please bring a lunch, comfy clothes, and a filled water bottle, as not all facilities have an easily accessible water fountain. Leave valuables at home. The Second City is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.

We offer two payment plan options at checkout, 50/50 or weekly. The 50/50 payment plan allows you to pay half upfront. The other half will be automatically charged to your card 15 days later. The Weekly payment plan allows you to pay 20% upfront with an additional 20% charged every week thereafter until completed. If neither of those would work for you, we are happy to discuss a customized plan that fits your needs. You can set up a custom payment plan by contacting studentsuccess@secondcity.com

Scholarships are available for our camp programs. For more information on applications and deadlines please visit our Scholarship page.

In some states and countries, parents may be able to deduct camps as childcare. Please check with your tax expert to see if this applies to you and your area of residence. The Second City is happy to resend your receipt or provide a letter of completion with tuition paid included. However, we are not able to provide tax forms of any kind.

We are firm on the age grouping for camps. For example, please do not sign up your 11 year old for a 12-18 camp session. If you have an extenuating circumstance or would like to explore options, email customerservice@secondcity.com.

We do not provide recordings of the performances after they take place. We encourage adults to join us for the live show in-person, or virtually over Zoom for online camps.

We welcome kids from all experience levels. The experience is meant to be explorative, and function as an introduction to materials – beginners are as welcome as are seasoned performers.
We cannot make any guarantees that children will be grouped together. However, if a special request is submitted prior to the camp session, we will do everything we can to help make arrangements happen.
Yes, Second City has gender-neutral restrooms.
We love to work with campers to make summer camp an enjoyable experience. Please reach out to us in advance if you have questions about accessibility needs or requirements!