Comedy Act Turns into Career

This past summer Will Evans, senior classics major, was one of 15 people in the nation to be accepted into the Second City’s comedy studies program, affiliated with Columbia College of Chicago.
 
Evans is not a new face to the Second City scene. After his JINS course “The Art and Science of Humor,” he realized that comedy had the potential to develop into a career. The following summer, Evans began to pursue opportunities to develop this interest, including taking two week-long courses at the Second City Training Center in Chicago. The Center is best known for producing comic talents such as Mike Myers, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey.

“I wanted to find opportunities to hone my comedy, and also to see if it was worth the risk of attempting to get into the entertainment business,” Evans said.

A year later, with Second City experience already under his belt, Evans applied for their summer studies program and was accepted. Monday through Friday, he attended classes in vocal and movement training, comedy history, improvisation and comedy writing. In addition, there were also workshops on Friday that focused either on music or acting. Unlike traditional homework, Evans’ work consisted of writing sketches, performing stand-up or creating scenes for silent films. The program’s final performance showcased one of his sketches among other student-written pieces.

At the end of the comedy studies program, Evans’ teachers told him that despite a few minor areas to work on, he had a lot of talent. He plans to continue a career in comedy and apply for an internship at Second City or the Conservatory in Chicago after graduation.

Undoubtedly, Evans is hooked on comedy. On campus, he is the president of Upchuckles, Truman’s own student comedy club. The club’s next performance “Little Theater, Big Laughs” will take place at 8 p.m. Sept. 27 in the Baldwin Hall Little Theater. There will also be a stand-up workshop beforehand at 5:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend.