Second City Unscripted By Mike Thomas

I love the second city. I've gone to their shows in Toronto and encourage others to go. I've wanted to take a class there for years and was finally able to this past summer. I took the writing class and am slightly jealous of everyone who is continuing in all the levels. If I was in Toronto right now I would want to make that place my home and dive into the community.

Since I'm far away from Toronto I've taken to reading books by comics and specifically a book complied of interviews about the second city from those who were closest to it. It's the first time I've read a history book that touched on history I was a part of. The book starts in 1959 and through words of crew and cast takes you to 2009. How they kept their structure, who says what about whom, who held things together and how crazy the cast members could get. I like reading about how people started and so many great comics that I admire graced the stage or school of second city.

So much of it made me laugh and it was really neat to read about different sketches and characters that didn't always work on stage but made up so many popular movies and tv shows. I love the life philosophy of improvisation, the 'Yes, and...' If you're in Toronto check out the John Candy Box theatre for their Improv nights. It used to be on Monday but might have changed to Fridays at 70 Peter st.

My motto is "as long as someone's laughing" so if you have funny books to recommend please do!