CHICAGO, Jan. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Second City is excited to announce the recipients of its tenth annual Bob Curry Fellowship, a transformative program designed to empower actors of color through a 15-week, tuition-free master's course in comedy. For the second year, the fellowship is generously sponsored by Wintrust Financial Corporation, furthering its mission to uplift exceptional talent from diverse cultural backgrounds at our renowned comedy institution.
Under the inspiring leadership of Second City alums Jules Morales and Evan Mills, the fellows will embark on an in-depth master program in improvisation and comedy that will conclude with a series of public showcases every Tuesday in February starting at 8 pm (2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25).
Over its 10-year history, more than 50 percent of the graduating fellows have been hired by various Second City divisions, including The Second City Touring Company, Resident Stage Ensembles, Theatricals, and cruise ship companies, and as teachers for The Second City Training Center.
This year's fellows, selected for their outstanding potential and commitment to their craft, are as follows (in alphabetical order): Asya Meadows, Isabella Alonso, Jazmin Robinson, Juan Arellano, Juliana Zepeda, Justin Banks, Karissa Cuffy, Khiry Johnson, PJ Walker, and Takahana Savolainen.
The fellowship honors the legacy of Bob Curry, the first African-American performer on The Second City's mainstage, and serves as a unique professional development program to nurture next-generation talent.
The Bob Curry Fellowship has played a pivotal role in creating pathways for underrepresented voices in the comedy world. Through its comprehensive training experience, The Second City amplifies its commitment to shaping the future of comedy with a focus on diversity, creativity, and collaboration.
For more information about the Bob Curry Fellowship, please visit: www.secondcity.com
About The Second City
The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world's most influential name in improvisation and comedy, celebrating its 65th year in business in 2024. The Second City's stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad and artistic home for many of the funniest performers, writers, directors, and comedic minds on the planet. As well, for decades The Second City's corporate education and entertainment arm, Second City Works, has supported global businesses using the same methods pioneered on its stages to drive individual growth and organizational improvement.
For more information on The Second City, visit www.secondcity.com, www.secondcityworks.com and follow The Second City on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
About Wintrust Financial Corporation
Wintrust is a financial holding company with approximately $62 billion in assets whose common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Guided by its "Different Approach, Better Results" philosophy, Wintrust offers the sophisticated resources of a large bank while providing a community banking experience to each customer. Wintrust operates more than 200 retail banking locations through 16 community bank subsidiaries in the greater Chicago, southern Wisconsin, west Michigan, northwest Indiana, and southwest Florida market areas. In addition, Wintrust operates various non-bank business units, providing residential mortgage origination, wealth management, commercial and life insurance premium financing, short-term accounts receivable financing/outsourced administrative services to the temporary staffing services industry, and qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred exchanges. For more information, please visit www.wintrust.com.
Press Contact:
Colleen Fahey, VP of Marketing
The Second City
[email protected]
(312) 662-4516
SOURCE The Second City
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