Second City Alums Return for Diversity Casting Panel

The Second City Outreach and Diversity Program is proud to present Diverse Actors Strongly Encouraged To Improvise, a panel discussion with alumni of The Second City exploring casting in theatre and television, the emerging voice of diversity in improvisation and breaking into the business as an actor of color. The event will be held on Wednesday November 19, 2008 at 6:30pm at The Second City e.t.c. (1608 North Wells Street, 2nd Floor of Piper's Alley) in Chicago. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended and will be taken at 312/475-3577 or outreach@secondcity.com.

Diverse Actors Strongly Encouraged To Improvise will feature Nyima and Joshua Funk (Nick Cannon's Wildin' Out), Gregory Hollimon (Strangers with Candy), Lamorne Morris (BET host) and Claudia Wallace (Fred Claus, Let's Go To Prison) – all alumni of The Second City's Training Center, Touring Companies and/or Resident Stages. Moderated by Second City Outreach Director Dionna Griffin-Irons, the panel will discuss how diverse actors first launched their careers on stage and television as well as the role that race has played in their careers.

"For any actor of color – whether just starting out or well into their career – this panel provides a first person narrative of a journey that can be as frustrating as it is exhilarating," notes Second City Outreach Director Dionna Griffin-Irons.

The Second City Outreach and Diversity Program was created in 1992 to increase diversity at Second City and within the improvisational comedy community. The program provides on-going training, scholarships and performance opportunities for all actors of color and has supported the development of such ensembles as GayCo Productions, Salsation, Stir-Friday Night, Pimprov and KevInda.

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