Take a Virtual Class - The Second City

The Second City has been creating comedy through improvisation for 60+ years. Actors improvise ideas during rehearsals until they find a funny scene. This unique process has produced some of the great...

Ready to take your stand-up to the next level? Second City’s Stand-Up Lab gives you the space and support to sharpen your joke writing and performance skills. In every class, you’ll have dedicated tim...

Writing 2 builds on the foundation for scenic comedy writing established in Writing 1 by expanding on scenic types, writing to cast and running order, and writing through collaboration. Writing 2 focu...

Writing 3 builds on the exploration into a Second City running order established in Writing 2 by focusing on the various sources of scenic inspiration and delving deeper into satirical writing. Writin...

In Improv 4, you’ll explore advanced-level scene work and focus on synthesizing all the elements that go into strong, well-rounded, dynamic scenes: like character, emotion, ensemble, environment, rela...

Learn how to write monologue jokes, desk bits, remote segments, guest pieces, sketch and a variety of segments for shows like Fallon, Kimmel, Amber Ruffin, Seth Myers, Colbert, Ellen, Noah, Oliver and...

In this four-week online writing satire course, you will learn how to form a strong comedic point of view on topical news and pop culture events. You will brainstorm, draft and rewrite short pieces in...

This second four-week satire writing intensive builds on the concepts learned in Satire 1 and puts an increased emphasis on writing at a professional level. Students will keep a running pitch document...

Conservatory Level 3 is dedicated to the study of the many different types of scenic styles that are employed in sketch creation.Students learn to improvise with the goal of creating potential sketch ...

Looking to build your Actor/Improviser Tool Box? Want to bring your Irish Bartender into more crisp view? Got that Brooklyn Cab Driver you’ve been dying to perfect? This is the place to do it! Learn f...

Intro to Writing for TV & Film is for anyone who wants to learn the crucial basics of writing for film and television or anyone with a great idea of a movie who needs help putting it into (properly fo...

Second City’s (virtual) Open Mic is back!

Every other Tuesday at 11pm ET ● 10 CT ● 8 PT

The Comedy Gym Open Mic: Work out your bits!
Hosted by Tamale Sepp and Friends on ZOOM!
Sign up to perform. Stan...

Building on Online Sketch Writing 1, students will continue to learn the universal comedy techniques used in mainstream media as well as focusing on satire, character development and rewriting.

Class ...

Conservatory level 1 is a deep dive into the Second City archives. Students study and analyze classic sketches to familiarize themselves with the satirical styles and genres presented on our resident ...

Improv 3 takes the character work from Improv 2 and places it in the context of other key elements of dynamic scenes: who/what/where, beginnings & middles, platforms, setting, intro to tilts/routine b...

Writing 5 focuses on generating and refining written satirical material that results in a fifty-minute sketch revue script. Writing 5 puts into practice the skills acquired from previous class levels ...

Building on Online Writing for Late Night TV and Talk Shows 1, this class will consist of joke maximizers for monologue jokes, finding the angle for your joke, monologue jokes with visual punch lines,...

We all have a story to tell, now let’s take it to the next level! A more in-depth storytelling class for the people who took 101 or for those who feel seasoned enough to dive deeper into what makes a ...

Story is everything. Whether it’s inspiration for your next script to understanding yourself a bit better, learning what makes for a great story (and how to make it uniquely yours) is ultimately what ...

The final level of the Grad Revue process provides students with the opportunity to experience the active rehearsal process of putting up a Second City-style sketch revue.

Improvisers who have become ...

Brand new to the world of Improv? This 4-week Intro to Improv online course is perfect for beginners. Students will gain a basic understanding of improv fundamentals and collaborative creativity as we...

Teen Sketch is a quick and fun entry into the world of sketch comedy writing. Part one of this three-part course is an exercise-based class WITH NO GRADES (woohoo!) that is all about generating ideas ...

The Homemade Jam is a fun, welcoming and encouraging improv jam for students of the Second City Community held on the first and third Friday of every month. It’s founded in Second City’s “Yes And, Cre...

Join Darcy Kendall for our virtual musical improv jam! Play, sing, meet new people… all from the comfort of your home. (No prior singing/music experience necessary.)

Sign up using the linked form and ...

In Online Intro to Comedic Songwriting you will learn to turn a strong point of view into a great comedic song. Work with classic song structures to strengthen your lyrics, and discover how melody and...

This class teaches a solid, fundamental approach to acting that can be applied to any style or genre of material. After establishing a core process, put it immediately into practice by tackling differ...

Join Kathleen Puls Andrade for an intensive look at the Voiceover industry and learn the skills needed to make it in this competitive field. You’ll be getting behind the mic (or phone, or laptop) to r...

An online, go at your own pace Personal Storytelling course.

Understanding the basics of a good, compelling story is essential to life, essential to connection, essential to whether you want to write ...

Develop yourself as a solo comedic performer by writing and workshopping your own material. By understanding how earlier stand-up comics evolved, students experiment outside their comfort zone and exp...

Do you have funny personal stories to share? In this four-week course, you will learn to write about humorous experiences in your own life. We will discuss how to make your stories interesting and rel...

Cry ‘Til You Laugh! In this four-week course, you will learn to write about sad experiences either in your own personal life or through fiction. This class will also teach you how to add humor to your...

Intro to Writing for TV is for anyone who wants to learn the essence of writing for television or anyone with a great idea for a series who needs help putting it into (properly formatted) words. This ...

In Online Sketch Writing 3 you will continue building the blocks of a sketch revue! Explore sketch structures that “break the rules”, including blackouts and clothesline scenes. Expand your ability to...

Students living away from one of the Second City Training Centers can still study comedy sketch writing! In Sketch Writing 1 students receive individual instruction through online correspondence, expl...

Over this four-class intensive, learn to write short, satirical pieces in the style of McSweeney’s, The Beaverton, Reductress, Shouts and Murmurs, and The Onion. Explore the elements that make for esp...

Discover the comedic magic of The Second City, where comedy writing meets improvisation in a one-of-a-kind creative process! For over 60 years, we’ve been honing our craft, using improv as our secret ...