Laughter will fill the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center auditorium May 9 with the return of The Second City.
Second City appeared last at the auditorium in early 2008.
Chicago's legendary comedy theater troupe's show starts at 7:30 p.m. Performances will include sketches, music and improvisations.
The Second City has three different touring companies. Visiting Warsaw this time will be the Red Company.
With the Red Company will be Tim Robinson. In a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon, Robinson said he's been with the Red Company for about a year. He's performed with Second City, however, for "quite some time now," he said.
He started out with the Detroit Second City before moving on to Chicago.
With the election in 2008, last year's performance featured an array of political humor. Robinson said there will be some of that still, but also social satire. There is a scene in a show where they take the headlines from the local newspaper for some comic relief.For Robinson, he said the best part about performing with Second City is that it's ensemble based. He likes everyone working together without a focus on just one actor.
With a lot of political and social satire in the show, can comedy go too far?
"I personally think you can go too far. But," he said, "I think it's your own judgement call. The audience will tell you when you've gone too far."
Robinson said different parts of the country have different lines to cross. The South might not see a comedy bit the same the Midwest, West or Northeast see it. The Second City actors do a little research about the places they visit before their shows, Robinson said. The performers may thumb through the local newspaper, or ask their local contacts about the city.
Founded in Chicago in 1959, The Second City has become the premier training ground for the comedy world's best and brightest. Their alumni list reads like a who's who of American comedy, it includes: Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, George Wendt, Martin Short, John Candy, Bonnie Hunt, Tim Meadows, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Horatio Sanz, Ryan Stiles and countless others.
Robinson said he doesn't plan that far ahead to be like some of The Second City alumni.
"I try not to plan ahead too much," he said. "I try not to stress too much. I certainly don't rule anything out, but I don't plan."
Having done comedy long enough, Robinson said he doesn't get nervous really. New stuff may slightly make him nervous, but not too much.
"I think the greatest part of comedy is we have a great forum to satirize. We get to be on stage and show our point of view," Robinson said.
Tickets for The Second City are $12.50 and can be purchased at the Warsaw Performing Arts Center. For more information, call the Performing Arts Center at 574-371-5040. Visa and Master Card accepted. No refunds or exchanges.
For more information on The Second City, visit online at www.secondcity.com
