What It is Like to Put Together a Second City Archival Show.
“The Second City’s Incomplete Guide to Everything” came out earlier this month to rave reviews. I shared a few words with one of the actors, Tim Stoltenberg, to gain a little more insight into the show. See what he had to say below.
It’s always exciting when Second City releases a new show and I’ve heard nothing but great things about this one, what has this process been like for you?
The cast and crew is a very talented group of people, so rehearsals were fun because the people make it fun. We’re always try to break each other with bits. It was a fast process, we hit the ground running with rehearsing scenes and getting the show together. When you work with people this talented things come together rather quickly. I think we were all surprised with the show by the fourth rehearsal. It was like, “Hey, we got a show already and it works. Now let’s make it even funnier.” As an actor, that’s a great place to be.
How is this show different from your previous shows with Second City?
Well, each show is different with what scenes are in the show. I’ve done a couple of shows for Second City and it gets to the point when you already have a few under your belt, that you start looking for scenes that challenge you in ways you’ve never experienced before. This show is pretty great, in the sense that we do scenes we’ve always wanted to do but had never the chance to actually do before and that’s very exciting.
What is your favorite scene/ part of the show?
Second City shows are a mixture of sketch and improv. In this show we made a point to put in more improv than in past shows I’ve done, so it keeps you on your toes. You have to listen to the whole show in order to know what to use in the improv scenes. It’s a pretty fast moving show, so once it gets going it’s a great ride. The lights come down at the end and you can still feel the energy in the room. It’s kind of a rush.
What’s a teaser that you can share for people to look forward to?
One of the themes of the show is “connections.” So, as an audience member, they can kind of keep that in mind as they watch the show and connect all these dots. But all in all, it’s a classic Second City sketch and improv show with some of the most talented actors in Chicago right now.
“The Second City’s Incomplete Guide to Everything” is in an open run at UP Comedy Club. You can view showtimes and buy tickets at UPComedyClub.com.
