LA’s Second City grads honor the woman behind their comedy success

You know the names of the biggest Second City comedy stars: John Belushi, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner. You might not know Joyce Sloane’s name. For nearly 50 years, she helped run the Second City improv troupe in Chicago – and helped launch the careers of dozens of comedians. Sloane died last month at age 80.

Second City friends from L.A. paid her tribute at a North Hollywood event.

Second City was a second home to dozens of comic talents – and Joyce Sloane was the mother of the household. About 300 L.A. friends and family turned out to pay tribute to Joyce Sloane at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood.

“She constantly advocated the importance of community and backed it up with lots and lots of free tickets," said Andrew Alexander. Alexander is CEO of the Second City.

The improv troupe began in 1959, at the end of the Eisenhower era, when political humor was rare. Founder Bernie Sahlins hired Sloane a year later.

“Hundreds of actors appeared on the Second City stage," said Sahlins. "Joyce was a beloved friend to all of them. She not only knew the names of their kids and their grandkids, importantly she knew which brand of pizza they liked.”

Over the decades, Sloane had a hand in training Alan Alda, Dan Ackroyd, Shelley Long – as well as Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey and Steve Carell.

Joyce Sloane was also instrumental in stretching Second City’s influence across the country. Today, it runs comedy training centers in L.A. and Toronto as well as Chicago – and there’s a Second City Network on YouTube.