Columbia Faculty, Alums Help Redefine The Second City’s e.t.c Theater

Anne Libera, associate professor and director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago, with students at The Second City Training Center, where Columbia’s “A Semester at The Second City” program immerses students in comedy writing, performance, and improvisation.Anne Libera, associate professor and director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago, with students at The Second City Training Center, where Columbia’s “A Semester at The Second City” program immerses students in comedy writing, performance, and improvisation.
Anne Libera, associate professor and director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago, with students at The Second City Training Center, where Columbia’s “A Semester at The Second City” program immerses students in comedy writing, performance, and improvisation.
Anne Libera, associate professor and director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago, with students at The Second City Training Center, where Columbia’s “A Semester at The Second City” program immerses students in comedy writing, performance, and improvisation.
Anne Libera, associate professor and director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago, with students at The Second City Training Center, where Columbia’s “A Semester at The Second City” program immerses students in comedy writing, performance, and improvisation.
Anne Libera, associate professor and director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago, with students at The Second City Training Center, where Columbia’s “A Semester at The Second City” program immerses students in comedy writing, performance, and improvisation.
Anne Libera, associate professor and director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago, with students at The Second City Training Center, where Columbia’s “A Semester at The Second City” program immerses students in comedy writing, performance, and improvisation.
Anne Libera, associate professor and director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago, with students at The Second City Training Center, where Columbia’s “A Semester at The Second City” program immerses students in comedy writing, performance, and improvisation.
Columbia College Chicago faculty Anne Libera helped lead The Second City’s shift to an all-improv e.t.c. Theater, reflecting how comedy is evolving to meet audiences in real time.

Second City’s e.t.c. Stage has long been a proving ground for new voices in Chicago comedy—a space dedicated to experimentation that has launched generations of performers, writers, and directors. This winter, the storied stage enters a new chapter, one shaped in large part by Columbia College Chicago faculty and alumni. 

The shift was first reported by the Chicago Tribune, which noted that for the first time in its 43-year history, the e.t.c. Stage will present a fully improvised production. Titled “Improv Supernova,” the new show replaces the traditional scripted sketch revue with an entirely unscripted performance that changes nightly. 

Directing the production is Anne Libera, associate professor and director of Comedy Studies in Columbia’s School of Theatre and Dance. The cast and creative team also include Columbia Comedy Writing and Performance alums Annie Sullivan ’17, a member of the new e.t.c. cast, and Abby Rankin ’25 in the role of Assistant to the Director. This highlights Columbia’s deep ties to Chicago’s comedy ecosystem at a moment of institutional change. 

Libera sees the move as part of a larger industry shift driven by how audiences engage with comedy today. 

“Across the comedy industry, audiences are looking to live comedy to give them an active experience that they can’t get online or on their phones,” Libera says. “Second City is focusing on improvisation to create a comedic experience that has immediacy and human connection—still really funny, but an experience as well as a laugh.” 

At Second City, that emphasis on immediacy represents both a return to roots and a rethinking of long-standing formats. While improv has always played a role in developing sketch comedy, placing it at the center of the e.t.c. Stage signals a renewed commitment to risk, responsiveness, and live connection. 

How Columbia’s Comedy Program Meets the Moment  

That same industry awareness is central to how Libera approaches teaching at Columbia. In her comedy history courses, students examine comedy as a popular medium—one shaped by audience desires and financial realities, rather than traditional arts patronage. 

“Comedy lives in industries that are focused on making money,” Libera says. “We talk directly about how finances and audience needs shape the comedy that gets made.” 

She points to earlier eras, such as radio and television sitcoms, where sponsorship and advertising influenced tone and structure, as well as today’s live comedy landscape, where audiences are seeking connection and shared experience during stressful and fast-moving times. 

Preparing students to respond to those shifts is a key goal of Columbia’s Comedy Writing and Performance program. In recent semesters, Libera has asked students to end her Comedy History course by pitching new comedy concepts based on current industry trends. 

“The students were seeing the same issues and opportunities that were being discussed in my professional meetings at Second City,” she said, particularly the demand for in-person connection. While that thinking helped shape “Improv Supernova,” Libera expects Columbia students to continue innovating in their own ways. “I have no doubt that my students will make comedy that works in this space for themselves.” 

As Second City’s e.t.c. Theater redefines its role in Chicago’s comedy scene, Columbia-trained artists are helping lead the way—onstage, behind the scenes, and in the classroom. 

Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago
Columbia’s Comedy Studies program offers students a direct pipeline into Chicago’s comedy industry through coursework in comedy writing, performance, and improvisation.

A signature opportunity, “A Semester at The Second City,” allows students to study full time at The Second City Training Center while earning college credit, placing them inside the same professional ecosystem shaping the future of live comedy.

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