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The Second City
Sheldon Patinkin Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Second City
"The Second City: Backstage at the World's Greatest Comedy Theater is Sheldon Patinkin's tribute to the Chicago comedy club and it's performing troupe over the past 45 + years. The book offers a thorough historical look at the actors, directors, and producers who created the world's greatest stage for improvisational comedy from 1955 until 1999.

Opening in 1959, The Second City has been showcasing the talents of Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Robert Klein, Martin Short, Mike Nichols and Elaine May, David Steinberg, Rick Maranis, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Catherine O'Hara, Tim Meadows, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Alan Arkin, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Joan Rivers, Jim Belushi, Brian Doyle Murray, Betty Thomas, Harold Ramis, Horatio Sanz and hundreds of others. The Second City launched a classic television comedy series in SCTV and has been the unlimited pipeline for comedic talent on Saturday Night Live since it's debut in 1975.

The book gives a history of the different locations the theater has called home, the performers, the improvisational skits and the various spin off locations and productions in Toronto, Pasadena, etc. Patinkin recalls the successes and failures of various productions, the nature of improv performance, the romances and deaths of cast members and the enduring mission of the theater. It is a detailed book with dozens of pictures and endless inside stories by and about the actors and their craft."
David Fletcher, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Second City
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Kind Of History
Time of history: - 20th century
Nationality? - American--General
History of Art? Yes
Kind of art - TV/Movies

Subjects of this Historical Account
Is the portrayal sympathetic? - Sympathetic
From a certain profession/group? - artists/entertainers
Intelligence of subject of history: - Smart

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Midwest
Big City? Yes
City: - Chicago
If applicable, liberal/conservative? - Historian is very liberal

Style
How fast-paced is the book? - 1 ()
Book makes you feel... - very happy
How much focus on stories of individuals? - Focuses on brief history of a lot of players
Is book humorous? Yes
How much humor? - 10 ()
If humorous, kind of humor - puns - eccentric personalities - Dry-cynical - slapstick - parody - satire - gentle humor
Pictures/Illustrations? - A lot
Length of book - 201-250 pages
How much emphasis on small details? - 5 ()
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Sheldon Patinkin Resident Scholar Profiles

 TOP SCHOLAR:
  David Fletcher  

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