Second City in Chicago

My Second City Chicago Writing 2 Class Room

I love to laugh.  Roughly two years ago I took a Second City writing course at the Second City Los Angeles training center.  I was looking for a creative kick start and something that unusual and different from my status quo seemed perfect.  The roller coaster that is life had been a little bit crazy up until that point.  I wanted to design my own ride to fulfill my own passions.  Needless to say, I loved it and after receiving an invitation to continue on in the program I vowed to pursue this dream.

Fast forward almost two years and a variety of twists and turns and I still had not returned.  It’s funny how time moves so quickly when you are doing something else.  My writing hadn’t progressed, the book I was planning had dematerialized, and in my gut a longing for that promise I made to myself pulled at me. While I had taken a few improv classes at the Bovine Metropolis on Champa (so much fun.. more about that in a future post) I had never returned to my Second City writing.

So I acted.  I developed a plan.

To my friends and to myself I think the plan sounded a bit off the wall.  Okay it sounded a lot off the wall.  Los Angeles was a wonderful experience and both my teacher and classmates remain folks I will forever hold fond memories of.   Unfortunately their class offerings are less regular as the training center is considerably smaller than the famous Chicago landmark that produced such greats as Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler, to name a few.  So out of both reverence to the Chicago training center and necessity for scheduling I called and did a transfer of my LA registration to Chicago, signed up for Writing II to continue on, and for the heck of it realized I could squeeze in an Improv 1 class on the same day.  It’s stressed at Second City that Improv can help everything, especially writing.  If I’m doing this I am not going to do it halfway.  So thus began what is now weekly ritual in 6th week.  Most Sundays I wake up at roughly 3:30 AM, take the pup on a early morning walk (to which he looks at me to say… REALLY!!! it’s early) then off to the airport for a morning flight direct to Chicago.  It’s a quick hop on the Blue Line (Chicago has great transit which I had to learn very quickly) and a connection to the 72 North bus line and then a morning lox bagel and some coffee while gathering my thoughts (and my sketch work) at Einsteins just around the corner from the Chicago Second City Training Center.  Noon begins a 3 hour writing course where 8 or so of us distribute our parts and do a table read of what we wrote.  Then it’s time to “put it on it’s feet” and see how it plays out.  Does the sketch work, does it strike a chord or resonate… is it interesting?  A laugh is wonderful, but the first question is “Why are we watching this”?  What about whatever was created is interesting…

It’s so amazingly fun!  I’m learning so much.  I’ll have to share in future posts.

Then at 2:59 that class ends and I pop next door to join a large group for Imrov 1.  What started out as probably 30+ Improv students seems to have whittled itself down to roughly 20 as we work to get ourselves out of our comfort zones and flex the “muscle” that is our creative side.  You know what… It is really really fun.  For the next 2.5 hours I’m doing things every similar to what I did at the Bovine Metropolis with Improv program while meeting some incredibly interesting and nice people.

Then at 5:30 PM Chicago time the classes ends, we all chat a bit and laugh about the day and I’m off to grab anything to eat that I can find surrounding Second City before I pass out from starvation.  5.5 hours of funny nourishes the soul but not the stomach.  Word to note, I’m still looking for a decent sushi restaurant in Chicago that can compete with the likes of our own Sushi Sasa and thus far not a single challenger.

Dinner wrapped up, maybe a cocktail, saki or wine and I’m back on my whirlwind travel day with a rush to the airport.  Usually dinner overrules all other priorities and I find myself hailing a cab so as to not miss my flight trying to make it by rail.  Check in, review my writing on the plane or read, and before midnight (or shortly after) I am back safe and sound in our mile high city.  One late night dog walk (he gets walks during the day as well, just not from me) and I crash into peaceful slumber.

The funny thing is… when this all started it sounded crazy and now it’s just another Sunday.  Sometimes I make a weekend of it and enjoy the windy city.  I’ll enjoy it more when it warms up.  Last weekend I flew in on the Saturday before and enjoyed a nice long run by the lake.  It must have been Spring Break madness because it was less expensive to do a priceline overnight with a stay at the Swissotel downtown than to fly in and out the same day.  Score!!

The real magic for me this past weekend was the feedback I got on my writing.  My first piece earned the comment “expertly crafted”.  I won’t go into too much detail but it was a two person scene that just kept getting twisted over and over with multiple surprises.  It was magical. Considering I had a flop the weekend before that I learned from so redemption felt REALLY REALLY GOOD!

Anyway, I’m tired.. it’s Friday, and I still have to get my ideas finalized for this coming Sunday’s class.  But that’s my little corner of life for the Urban Brain in Denver.  It just happens to be a day in Chicago.  But folks have been interested to hear about it so if you follow this blog you just might hear more.

And one additional bonus.. I’m also taking the Lighthouse Writers Workshop and we are suggested to write about what we love.  Not only has Second City given me some great perspectives on writing with characters, conflicts, etc. it’s also a basis for a new premise in the book I’m working on that I absolutely love.  For all of you out there who have some secret passion.. go and pursue it.

Cheers!