The Second City starts tonight at The Rep.

  • The Second City starts tonight at The Rep.

Returning to The Rep this month on their national tour is Chicago’s famed comedy troupe The Second City. An institution of improvisational wit and satire, it is responsible for launching the likes of Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert, among countless others, into our comedic awareness; it no doubt continues to be the starting point for many actors who are making the leap into show business. Culture snobs, take note: This could be a “before they were famous” opportunity.

Advertisement

Among the five players coming to Little Rock is Tim Stoltenberg. A native of Wisconsin, he went to school in Michigan and then moved to Atlanta, where he spent seven years in various theater companies, including Dad’s Garage. The Second City came through town and discovered him, and he spent a few months performing on a Mediterranean cruise ship with a Second City troupe. Since then, he’s spent the last three years improvising his way around the country, and will be in this year’s fresh rotation of actors at the Rep.

“There’s something amazing about being in front of an audience and being able to unite them in laughter,” Stoltenberg said in an interview. “Being backstage and hearing the audience going crazy is an outstanding feeling.”

Advertisement