The Best of Second City: Vol. 2

Written by Second City: Chicago's Famed Improv Theatre

Narrated by Fran Adams, Scott Adsit, Amy Sedaris and 28 more

Since 1959, Chicago's The Second City improvisational comedy troupe has played a critical role in developing some of the most successful comedians in the United States and Canada. Comedians such as Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, James Belushi, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, and Richard Kind, to name a few, have all performed with The Second City.

Between 1991 and 1997, L.A. Theatre Works, in conjunction with Chicago Theatres on the Air, had the pleasure of producing a number of Second City performances featuring Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Amy Sedaris, Marsha Mason, Edward Asner, and Paul Dinelo.

Colbert, Dinelo, and Sedaris went on to create the hit show Strangers With Candy for Comedy Central, and Amy's best-selling book, "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence is both witty and hilarious". More recently, both Carell and Colbert have enjoyed immense success beginning with their supporting roles in The Daily Show. Carell's show, The Office, is a hit on NBC, and his movies are box office boffos. Colbert has spun his Daily Show character off into his own highly successful The Colbert Report.

Hear these budding young comedians in some of their most hilarious work before they became the stars they are today.

(P)2007 L.A. Theater Works

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works
• Release date: Jan 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781580813945

Reviews for The Best of Second City

[trickbooks_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

So dated and ridiculous as to be almost unlistenable. Add a star if you have a significant interest in the history of comedy or really want to hear Marsha Mason or other stars of that era.

[juva_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A grim tale of the Salem witch trials and the fearful consequences of paranoid courts throughout time. When jealousy and petty revenge fantasies of young girls runs out of control, soon none are safe. John Proctor is a simple farmer who has one great sin in his life - lechery. After his wife discovered it, the house girl was dismissed, but she has since clung to hope of a reunion with her once lover. This has caused young Abigail to accuse Proctor's wife of witchcraft. But it does not stop there. Soon dozens are accused and many are executed.Which is ultimately worse: to die unjustly for a crime not committed, or to confess untruthfully and go free?

[evelynnygren · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting play by Arthur Miller. It was interesting to finally understand what the Salem Witch trials were and what they meant.

[pennsylady · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

recorded in 1972 ... directed by John Berry...full cast recordingthe highs and lows of speech make this difficult to hear without continual adjustmentbut...note the recording date...Unfortunately it bothered me and I probably missed some important conversation.3.5*.....recorded as 3.0r

[jonbrammer-788089 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Miller is at the height of his powers here, writing a play about witch hunts during the height of Joe McCarthy's reign as the country's head persecutor of supposed communists and fellow travellers. The play is harrowing, although I don't remember the original version having the asides that give character background information and historical context. Overall, a stunning depiction of the hysteria that takes hold when there is a perceived threat to the community, and the miscarriage of justice that occurs when the responsibility for facing this threat is placed in the wrong hands.

[booktsunami · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yes...heard lots about this play.....especially since it was a text for my son at school....but I'd never read it nor seen the actual play. So this reading was to address my ignorance. And I was not disappointed. It's a beautifully crafted piece of theatre. Of course, I have heard of the Salem witch trials but apart from the obvious horror of it all, I had little understanding of the causes etc. Arthur Miller was known to me mainly as the husband of Marilyn Munroe.....Curiously, the bio on Miller at the front of the book omits this detail. The book is especially interesting because Miller has included extensive descriptive notes....including the details that it is as "historic" as possible given the reliance on court documents etc. but clearly still a work of fiction as far as the dialogue goes.There have been numerous cases of girls (nearly always girls it seems) having visions or seeing the virgin Mary etc. (The origins of Lourdes dates back to an event like this and there were similar incidents in Spain where the girls kept up the pretence over many years. And, when I lived in Malaysia, cases of mass hysteria at girls schools were regular occurrences). Clearly, there are sexual overtones to the story .....the girls dancing in the forest....some suggestion of nakedness.....and Abigail's brief affair with John Proctor. But overall, it builds upon rigid beliefs and the belief in the "rightness" of their investigations and the "justice" that they had to deliver. (And justice meant hanging). I had some sense of deja vu as I recalled reading about similar trials but the inquisition in France in the attempt to stamp out the Cathar beliefs [Montaillou : Cathars and Catholics in a French village, 1294-1324 by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie 1975]. The same unshakable self belief on the part of the inquisitors; the same interest of the inquisitors in any hint of sex, the same incompetence of the local priest; and the occasional strong individual like John Proctor who thought for themselves and thought it all BS. But one has to admire the craft of the playwright in all this. Miller does a superb job of building the characters and the story and the psychology behind the whole catastrophe. He particularly builds on the local feuds over property and inheritance and the jealousies under the surface of this little village. I liked the play....easily worth 4 stars ...but on thinking it over...I'll probably give it 5 stars. (Guess I'm a bit biased towards non-fiction).

[jrobinw · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm glad I read this book. It was not required of me in high school, because other classics were assigned. I wish I had been required to read it since I was quite religious then. It stirred up anger in me now at the institution's injustice and the people's willingness to participate in evil, while calling themselves good.

[steve02476 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Liked it more than I expected. Have never seen the play, but I really enjoyed reading it.

[wanderlustlover_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

2017 Winter:

This was a read for my Junior Class. I'm not sure I have a whole lot to say about this book. It's a clearly explained allusion for McCarthyism presented through the Salem Witch Trials. It's far more educational to my than enjoyable entertainment, but the kids did love reading parts out loud and gasping as crazier things kept happens while the hysteria ramped.

[the_literary_jedi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The classic 1950 play by Miller relates the tragic moment in American history {hysteria} that is the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Through this lense, Miller spoke up against the Red Scare of the time and Senator McCarthy who lead the House Un-American Committee (HUAC) that "sought out Communists hiding amongst decent American citizens."The story of jealousy turned to hysteria and madness in Salem is a timeless tale of when power is given over to those who seek to destroy for their own gains. John Proctor is a tragic hero who refuses to allow the madness to take hold but in the end, he is no match for the power of his own guilt and sense of hypocrisy.Told in 4 Acts, this play is wonderful for exploring the way a writer can use historical context to speak and persuade an audience about current events. Still relevant, even in 2021, the play is a masterful and powerfully written exploration of those themes and motifs above.Recommended for readers at least of 10th grade and older.**All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Even written down the scenes of this play ring out in a terrifying way. Highly recommend.

[completely_melanie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was good. There is a show on Netflix (or there was I don't know if it is still on there) called Salem which is based on this book. I really enjoyed the show. This felt like reading the super condensed version of that. This is one of those rare instances that I actually felt that the show was better than the book. Though I guess in this instance, that isn't too far fetched since the book is actually a play and is meant to be seen.

[librolindsay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The conflict gets me so tense in this play that I'll throw the book across the room when it starts to boil.

[jemmatcf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very powerful and moving. At the same time it is sad, scary and so applicable to modern life.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This 1953 play concerns the events of the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692, and was intended by the author to draw an analogy with McCarthyism, which at that time was scarring US public discourse. Given that the witch trials resulted in deaths of innocent people, an even more appropriate comparison would be with the denunciatory atmosphere of Stalinism, especially in the purges of the late 1930s. Another contemporary (to us) comparison that came to my mind was with the political echo chambers that exist, especially on social media, on both the right and the left; as the modern day universal narrator says in Act 1: "A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence". The play is a gripping drama, with an unfolding air of suspicion and malice that ends up swallowing almost all of the main characters. Even discounting its political significance, it's a great piece of literature.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Provocative, timely content mixed with a wildly inconsistent play format made this a mixed-bag read. It was engaging at an ideas level, but it frustrated me from a craft level. I want to see this performed to understand how they translate the pages and pages of contextual writing.

[lorifox · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just finished The Crucible. Even after knowing the story and watching the movie version, I still found it haunting and chillingly similar to our current political environment here in the US. The group hysteria (Trumpsters) fed by those who recently gained power (the Republican Party), grounded in ignorance, fear, evangelical religious beliefs, and the desire to retain power has created a similar scenario.

Miller writes in such a way that we feel the utter disbelief, despair, and almost hopelessness of those accused of witchcraft. So many logical fallacies populate the mindset of the magistrates in charge of hearing the accusations and sentencing the accused that it’s hard to keep track of them all.

Some archaeologists claim that the downfall of the human race came with the rise of civilization during the Neolithic revolution 5,000-10,000 years ago. More specifically, I would add that the advent of organized religion was the true catalyst. Over the millennia it has set the stage for mass hysteria, persecution, genocide, ecological terrorism, and mass animal and plant extinction. I believe belief in organized religion allows adherents to deny climate change, and gives them an excuse to persecute those who are not like them, to drive to extinction plants and animal species, and to rape the earth, all the while looking to the sky for validation. They turn a blind eye to the reality of the Mother Earth we live on in favor of the invisible father they long to reunite with. They see no hypocrisy in their actions. Yet, they ignore the wisdom and words of the god they claim to follow (Jesus) in the name of seeking favor with the lie invisible sky deity.

The Crucible is a haunting example of the horrors that occur when church and state are not kept separate.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have wanted to read this one for a long time. It is a play so that is one reason why it took so long to get it done. I have this book but I also listened to the audio dramatization of the play. It pretty much fits with all the other books that I've red about the Salem Witch Trials.

[aldusmanutius · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Overly didactic.

[jonfaith · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another matrimonial tandem read. We saw a university production of this the week after.

[amaliagavea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A masterpiece in the history of Theatre...how can one put into words all the feelings that come to surface when you read The Crucible? What makes it even more shuttering, is the fact that it has always been relevant to any era, because it represents the fear in front of something we cannot understand, and the need to create witch-hunts in order to cover up our own faults as human beings and as members of our socities.

John Proctor is the Everyman, he stands for every human being that is -rightfully- afraid in front of the face of an inhuman justice, being torchured over imaginary faults and mistakes. What elevates him to greatness, though, is his fight with himself and the way he wins it over, desperately battling to preserve his honour, his ''name''. ''I have given you my soul, leave me my name!'' is the ultimate cry for respect and understanding in a society that has lost all elements of compassion.

I wonder, is our time so very different than those by-gone eras? Are we more understanding now, more open-minded? Do we find the respect we ask for? Do we earn it? I fear we won't like the answer...

[jeterat-844391 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Crucible has been on my to-read list since sometime in 2014, and is one of the oldest added things that still remained. I decided to pick it up after finishing a biography of Eisenhower, since it was contemporary with the McCarthy Red Scare and his presidency. I thought that, while the play is quite famous, the text lacked proper play structure and relied too heavily on out-of-act descriptions of the characters as they entered the scenes. I was unsure if these descriptions would be read aloud to an audience, or how they might be incorporated into a staged play, since some of them are key to understanding the action. I also thought that Miller's stage directions were heavy handed. In general, the entire play seemed to be the outline of a short novel and Miller stopped short of writing a complete work. Also, while the subject matter is immensely interesting and the Salem witch trials are an oddity in history, I don't necessarily like works that rely too heavily on the "this is a true story" trope to garner sympathy with the audience. I thought that if I had not already known about the trials, the characters would not have been well-developed and would have been hard to play. Overall, I do not recommend this work unless the reader has a particular interest in the witch trials or Miller's trial under McCarthy.

[sumisbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A rare case where the film was true to the book (or play in this case). Easy to read but could be very difficult to follow if you are not familiar with the characters. There are many characters and they all play significant roles. Though not 100% historically accurate it is still beautifully retold in a way that's much more reader friendly. This is one of those classics that everyone should read at least once.

[laphenix · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A dramatic, and occasionally melodramatic, production, the character, distinct and the excitement, high.

[devil_llama · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fictionalized history of the Salem witch trials. The author changes some of the dynamics of the time, making the girls older than they really were, and introducing a love triangle between a major player, John Proctor, and one of the main girls involved in accusations, Abigail Williams. This is unfortunate, because it loses some of the power that the play might have by adding in the revenge fantasy of a teenage girl who in real life was a bored pre-teen. In spite of that, the play uses characters and situations that actually existed, and is a powerful indictment of mob hysteria. The work is still relevant, as people continue to deal with situations of mass responses to events.

[engpunk77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved it. Learned the term "scapegoat." Hated Abigail, who symbolized every evil in the world to me. I don't know why, but Abigail was my scapegoat--what the citizens of Salem did was all the fault of Abigail. I think that for me she symbolized cheerleaders and popular girls in my school.

[daniellemd-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a very interesting read. It was terrifying, frustrating, and infuriating. The Salem witch trials often have that effect on me.
I found myself yelling out loud during parts of the book.
I wasn't too pleased with the treatment of the women in this book, both by the other characters and the author. There was a definite "blame the psychotic mistress/cold distant wife" angle. The man who cheated on his wife and resented her feelings about it was supposed to be sympathetic, and it was hard for me to side with him, for obvious reasons.

[regularguy5mb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Man, I haven't read this since high school. In fact, this is the same copy.Miller shows the dangers of a true theocracy by dramatizing the events of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Watching a group of young girls successfully convince a whole town that witchcraft is afoot and everyone who stands against them is in league with the devil is a horrifying thought, especially when the masters of the court not only believe them, but refuse to change their stance once the girls run away and steal the preacher's money.Reading through this again, I don't remember ever taking a look at Act Two, Scene 2 in the Appendix. This was a rather fascinating scene, because it showed Proctor's willingness to take his wife's advice and try to talk Abby out of her dangerous game, as well as Abby's pure madness and resolve in seeing her sick joke to the end, no matter the consequence.

[tangotango-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gelesen als Vorbereitung auf den Film zum Stück (Yael Farber inszeniert im Old Vic mit Richard Armitage als Proctor u.a.).Hat mir gut gefallen, die Balance zwischen "Dokumentation" und fiktionalem Drama.Die politische Dimension hab ich jetzt nicht so gesehen. Allein die Entwicklung der tragischen Geschichte John und Elizabeth Proctors vor dem Hintergrund eigentlich kleiner menschlicher Verfehlungen, die sich aber unheilvoll summieren: Neid, Missgunst, enttäuschte Liebe, Auskosten erster Erfahrungen sexueller und persönlicher Macht (im Fall von Abigail).Den leisen Humor im Text habe ich übrigens erst bemerkt, als ich das Theater- (und Kino-)Publikum an besagten Stellen lachen hörte.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think this play is one that's better seen, rather than read. Some plays are excellent as text (12 Angry Men, Glass Menagerie, about half of Shakespeare's works), but this one just didn't do it for me.