The Second City Author

The Second City began as a pioneering improvisational theater in Chicago in 1959. It has grown into one of the world’s largest and most influential entertainment institutions, with theaters and Training Centers in Chicago, Toronto, and Hollywood. Sheldon Patinkin was one of The Second City’s first directors and served as the company’s artistic consultant for fifty-five years. A mentor to thousands of performers, directors, and creative spirits, he passed away in 2014. Liz Kozak has been with The Second City since 2013 as a writer, an editor, and a producer on a variety of special events and film projects, including the upcoming Netflix SCTV reunion special directed by Martin Scorsese. Prior to her time at The Second City, Ms. Kozak spent over a decade working for Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios in Chicago. Comedic trailblazer Catherine O’Hara first found success onstage at The Second City Toronto and as an actress and Emmy Award–winning writer on the iconic sketch comedy series SCTV. Her prodigious career in film and television has gifted pop culture with iconic performances in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Best in Show, and Schitt’s Creek. A native of Toronto, O’Hara received the prestigious Order of Canada in 2018 in recognition of her lifetime of outstanding achievement.