In July, The Second City was facing an existential crisis. Its namesake improv theaters in Toronto, Los Angeles and Chicago had shuttered amid the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively eliminating all revenue overnight.
Meanwhile, former members were taking to social media to call out the storied comedy brand — where Tina Fey, Eugene Levy, Steve Carell and Jordan Peele, among many others, got their starts — for institutionalized anti-Black bias.
The controversy led longtime Second City CEO (and 50 percent owner) Andrew Alexander to resign, admitting that he “failed to create an anti-racist environment wherein artists of color might thrive.” Eight months later, The Second City is hitting the refresh button.
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