One of the first things you learn about improv is the “yes, and” rule. Accept others’ ideas, and always offer your own to keep a scene going.
So when demand for Second City’s classes in improv, writing and other aspects of comedy shot through the roof, reps said “yes” to building a new space “and” created a community hub full of history with places to connect, learn and play.
The new training centre – on the third floor at 99 Blue Jays Way, the site of Second City’s main theatre – has seven new studio classrooms, a 60-seat theatre, offices for the admin team and lounge spaces for students to relax and hang out in between classes.
“We are creating a new area of the training centre with new opportunities, but the old rules still apply,” said artistic director Kevin Frank on stage at the opening party last Thursday (July 30). “There’s no judgment in this room, only opportunities for artists to take risks, to fail and to be supported by their peers so they can learn and grow and become amazing artists.”
The space is full of reminders of Second City’s rich history, including quotes from alumni along the stairwell walls (“If you come through the Second City training, I think you can do anything,” says Bill Murray right outside the training centre door), a framed excerpt from Tina Fey’s Bossypants about the rules of improv, and a row of computer stations holding a video archive of past shows and sketches.
There’s also a bit of history in the stage itself: reclaimed wood taken from Second City’s original Toronto location.
Comedians who performed on that original stage include Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Mike Myers and John Candy, whom the new theatre is named after. Candy’s presence was felt throughout the grand opening party, with a black-lined painting of him on the wall, an all-you-can-eat candy bar and a talk show hosted by his daughter, Jen Candy.
An accomplished comedian in her own right, Candy hosts a show called Couch Candy, which she describes as like being “a fly on the wall for a conversation in [her] household.” She interviews Second City alumni about comedy, their careers and, often, memories of her father.
“I am so happy to be here, to be on the same stage that my dad and so many other talented people came on,” Candy said at the start of her show. “It’s kind of nice that it’s come full circle.”
Thursday night’s event featured a conversation with Robin Duke. Duke shared stories about the various characters she’s played in years of writing and performing for Second City, SCTV and SNL – including Mr. T’s wife and a woman who came back from the dead to sing.
Being in the theatre made memories come rushing back. “I still feel that when I come into the theatre and I come around Second City,” said Duke. “I still feel like that person I was the first time coming in and watching the cast, watching the show.”
Now that the ribbon’s been cut on the new space, a new generation of comedians can make similarly lasting memories.
But Second City’s not just for aspiring professional comedians, either. There’s something for everybody, from improv classes for people with anxiety to classes about how to write funny material. You don’t even have to make a commitment right away: there’s drop-in improv classes every Monday night. Just say yes and give it a try.
website@nowtoronto.com | @elenagritzan
