After a week of social media frenzy that ended in Second City executive producer Andrew Alexander, only the second CEO in the famous Chicago comedy company's 60 years of existence whose accomplishments include getting "SCTV" on the air, retiring, a group of former 2C mostly black performers, including "Late Night with Seth Meyers"' Amber Ruffin and "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" producer/writer/on-air talent Ashley Nicole Black, are demanding a full investigation and removal of alleged staff members engaged in racial discrimation and alleged sexual assault, full credit for material created by black performers (traditionally, Second City owns the material created by its performers and only considers cast members of its two major stages in Chicago and its Toronto and LA outposts--and those outposts that are defunct--as alumni and claims ownership of material created by students in its Chicago Training Center), hiring an outside HR firm, hiring a POC "diversity and inclusion" firm and a steering committee for hiring a new EP that includes non-white/non-straight Training Center students (artistic director Anthony LeBlanc, a black man, has been named interim EP)--and a response within 72 hours from earlier today (possible paywall):
https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/chris-jones/ct-ent-second-city-petition-20200608-cagycjzahjfljinpjvmzxc7soq-story.html Here's how it all started (no paywall): https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/andrew-alexander-out-at-second-city/Content?oid=80453792 It has been pointed out that LeBlanc already has a herculean task in reopening the company once the COVID-19 crisis passes, along with many other theater companies of all kinds--despite attempts at online programming, they have not had consistent revenue since the outbreak of COVID-19 (like almost every other theater company), including the especially-profitable cruise ship and corporate meeting divisions, and the rent for their Chicago spaces and offices as the overwhelmingly dominant tenant of the Piper's Alley complex in the Old Town neighborhood, which ceased being bohemian decades ago, is a money siphon. (I believe they own their own buildings in Toronto, I don't know about LA). And despite constant marketing in recent years in Chicago, they still have the reputation among some Chicagoans as a tourist trap. Adding the task of cleaning out the alleged racists in the company may make things only worse. And it is no secret that the other major homes of improv-based comedy in Chicago, iO and the Annoyance, are pretty much white boy places (Annoyance boss Mick Napier is gay, but that company in particular has claimed an edgy stance that is not all that popular with today's GenZs and millennials, which standups now claim are difficult audiences). And that would include NY and LA's Upright Citizens Brigade (originally started by Adam McKay and Amy Poehler, among others, as a home for metasatire that didn't follow rules beyond "yes and..." before it moved to the coasts and became the place where aspiring comics could be hired by VH1 to snark about on clip shows), which before the pandemic had been divided over the house improvisers and students' political stances (Bernie Bros v. Hillary/Biden v. Trumpers). For those of us who wonder about the future of comedy, this current incident is going to be fascinating to follow. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/8afcd768-73a7-4df5-a603-b452a5b2a7b3o%40googlegroups.com.
