{"product_id":"something-wonderful-right-away-the-birth-of-second-city-americas-greatest-comedy-theater-paperback","title":"Something Wonderful Right Away: The Birth of Second City--America's Greatest Comedy Theater - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJeffrey Sweet\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiscover the behind-the-scenes story of how The Second City theater created a generation of world class great actors, directors, and writers.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In the late Fifties and Sixties, iconoclastic young rebels in Chicago opened two tiny theaters--The Compass and The Second City--where they satirized politics, religion, and sex. Building scenes by improvising based on audience suggestions turned out to be a fine way to develop great actors, directors, and writers. Alumni went on to create such groundbreaking works as \u003ci\u003eThe Graduate\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGroundhog Day\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eDon't Look Up\u003c\/i\u003e. Many of them also became stars on \u003ci\u003eSaturday Night Live\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003ci\u003eSomething Wonderful Right Away\u003c\/i\u003e features the pioneers of the empire that transformed American comedy. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e This new edition tells even more of the story. Included for the first time is an interview with Viola Spolin, the genius who invented theater games that were the foundation of improvisational theater. Also included are dozens of follow-up stories about Mike Nichols, Barbara Harris, Del Close, Joan Rivers, Alan Arkin, and Gilda Radner, plus \"You Only Shoot the Ones You Love,\" the story of how this book's author, playwright Jeffrey Sweet, became so involved in the community he covered that he was captured by it. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJeffrey Sweet\u003c\/b\u003e is a founding resident writer of Chicago's Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theater, where many of his plays (including \u003ci\u003eThe Value of Names\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePorch\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFlyovers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Action Against Sol Schumann\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCourt-Martial at Fort Devens\u003c\/i\u003e) have premiered before playing on stages around the world. His book, \u003ci\u003eThe Dramatist's Toolkit\u003c\/i\u003e, is a widely-used text on playwriting, and \u003ci\u003eThe O'Neill\u003c\/i\u003e is a history of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Among the actors who have starred in his scripts are Ellen Burstyn, Alan Bates, Richard Kind, Nathan Lane, Jon Cryer, William Petersen, Amy Morton, Gary Cole, Jack Klugman, and Megan Mullaly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 456\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 27, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51772634235168,"sku":"9781621538240","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/983af879af9148cfc86da2bce588d8af.webp?v=1780410124","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/something-wonderful-right-away-the-birth-of-second-city-americas-greatest-comedy-theater-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}