alumni in action
When acting in a burlesque-style
satirical comedy (no nudity) in a show called Off Broadway, Barreca caught the eye of Beth Kligerman, director of talent at Second City. She was hired to work on a Second City cruise ship and then was cast in a number of shows before joining the e.t.c. stage this year as a performer in the revue A Clown Car Named Desire.
“Carisa has that magical quality —
an unteachable one, by the way — that makes audiences unable to take their eyes off her when she’s on stage,” says Kelly Leonard, executive vice president at Second City. “She’s a funny, dynamic and wholly original performer. The fact that she’s one of the nicest people you will ever meet is just icing on the cake.”
There is no average week in the life
of a Second City e.t.c. actor. They perform six shows Thursday through Sunday. Backstage becomes a second home, and the cast does everything there from taking naps in the middle of the day to prepping for auditions.
When the doors open for audience
seating, the cast is backstage, most likely eating a salad from a nearby grocery store or a burrito bowl from Chipotle. The girls, Barreca says, stay on the “girls’ side,” where they get ready, apply make-up, take selfies and chat about
boys. The guys hang out on the “boys’ side” and spend the time jokingly mocking the girls and planning pranks.
Pre-show is a bit different for the
late show, according to Barreca. “We have about an hour to kill in between shows,” she says. “Each of the girls bought a ‘onesie,’ so we put that on, make popcorn and watch TV for the hour between shows. The guys go out to get frozen yogurt.”
The cast has a post-show dining
routine — Thursday night at Corcoran’s for nachos, Friday and Saturday at Old Town Ale House. On Sunday, they hit Old Town Social for pork belly tacos and wine.
There is no guarantee of what lies
ahead. An actor’s time with Second City is contracted for the run of a particular show.
THE SCOOP
“I never thought I’d get to be on
Want to know Carisa Barreca better? Here are some things she shared with Marquette Magazine. FAVORITE TV SHOW?
Dr. Who. She loves Lord of the Rings and is a self-proclaimed “nerd-culture junkie.” SWEET OR SALTY?
Carisa is notorious for her sweet tooth. She tries to bring baked goods for the cast once a week, has a candy stash backstage and sets out a giant vase of Tootsie Pops to share.
a stage. I don’t know what I want to
PERSONAL MASCOT?
do next,” Barreca says. “It would be
Her toy owl, Hootbert, travels with her to every Second City gig.
my pleasure and honor if they would hire me back for another round, but someone else could come along that works out better. One thing people don’t realize is that after you get Second City,
Visit marquette.edu/magazine for more online extras.
there’s still the next step. That’s something I’m trying to figure out.” m
Scenes from the Second City production of A Clown Car Named Desire.
R E A D M O R E Keep up with Kiley Peters’ Chicago comedy blog, lifeisafunnyscene.com.
Marquette Magazine
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