O For over forty years since, The Second City has reigned as the capital of the comedy world. With theaters in Chicago, Toronto, and Detroit, training centers in New York and Los Angeles, and touring companies that travel all over the world, the words Second City have become synonymous with success. Though the Second City's achievement is impressive, their influence is immeasurable. What was once a renegade theater form unique to a small cabaret in Chicago can be now found in every major U.S. city. To some degree, the conventions of the Second City have now affected every form of popular entertainment in this post-modern, televisual culture. Members and alumni of the company have transferred their process into the world of radio, stage, television, and film, producing stars such as: Mike Nichols, Elaine May, John Belushi, Jim Belushi, John Candy, Rachel Dratch, Chris Farley, Shelley Long, Jerry Stiller, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Joan Rivers, Rick Moranis, Ryan Stiles, Martin Short, and Mike Myers, just to name a few.
Though The Second City has built an empire on immediacy and spontaneity, the journey from a reconverted hat shop to a global entertainment powerhouse did not simply take place overnight. In fact, the original cast and company of the first revue worked for nearly a decade to get Barbara Harris in that spotlight. This site explores the history, method, and impact of The Second City's unique theater form.