Joyce Sloane, mother of The Second City, is dead at 80

[The Straight Story]

The Second City's Joyce Sloane at the Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2005. (Tribune photo by Brian Kersey)

Joyce Sloane, the beloved maternal powerhouse of The Second City, and the woman who found and nurtured such comedy giants as John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chris Farley and Bill Murray, died Thursday.

According to her daughter, Cheryl, Sloane died "absolutely peacefully," while in bed, getting ready to watch Jim Belushi on TV. She was 80.

She was associated with Second City for all but one of its fifty years. She held virtually every title in the place: associate producer, executive producer, founder of the e.t.c. Company, founder of the national touring company, co-founder of the Toronto branch of The Second City, producer emeritus. So on and so forth across the years.


http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2011/02/joyce-sloane-mother-of-the-second-city-dead-at-80.html

[Kurovski]

1. Rest in peace.

She was universally loved. A very nurturing, generous woman.

[SidDithers]

2. The Second City is one of my favourite entertainment options...

We've seen main stage productions and revues in both Chicago and Toronto. It's great value and excellent comedy.

RIP.

Sid

[Kurovski]

3. In the 80's she donated the Second City ETC space

to a completely unknown theater company for their first benefit performance.

She was supportive of the entire theater community in many ways. She will forever be a large and very happy part of Chicago history.