Last year, it was announced that Stephen Colbert would be joining the board of directors at Second City. Seeing an alumni assume the role seemed like a good step in the right direction for the company, which was recently acquired by a private equity firm.
Well today, Second City announced their first ever artistic advisory board. This board will meet quarterly to “talk about the direction of the theater and [give] their input on some of the decisions leadership is making.”
The names of the individuals that will be on the board are below. Every name, like Colbert, is a well-known Second City alumni.
Stephen Colbert, Artistic Advisory Board Chair
Steve Carell
Dwayne Colbert
Tina Fey
Keegan-Michael Key
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Jane Lynch
Tim Meadows
Peter Murrieta
Suzy Nakamura
Catherine O’Hara
Sam Richardson
Jeff Richmond
Jason Sudeikis
Robin Thede
“The Second City recently marked 62 years in improv, fostering some of the top talents in comedy the world has ever seen. Today, we announce our first-ever Artistic Advisory Board, led by none other than Stephen Colbert, filled with familiar names, all proud Second City alumni and community members – many of whom started as students in our training center,” said Parisa Jalili, COO of The Second City. “We are so incredibly thankful to the alumni who have joined the inaugural Artistic Advisory Board for their generosity and dedication to The Second City and its future. As we look to the next 62 years and beyond, we are thrilled to have the Board’s support and creative vision guiding the way.”
In a statement, Colbert said that who he brought on “all believe that comedy is better off with a vital Second City. We want to share our experience of this tradition which helped form who we are as comedians and artists and help encourage a new generation to make that tradition their own.”
Having so many people who know exactly how the foundation runs and what it should look like is definitely a plus. We look forward to seeing how the comedy institution continues to evolve as a result.
