Second City's Beloved Matriarch, Joyce Sloan, Passes Away at Age 80

By WICF Contributor, Sheila Moeschen

Second City alum and owner of the Illinois-based improv theater, The Comedy Shrine, Dave Sinker summed up his homage to Joyce Sloan this way: "When you made her laugh, it made your day. There are a thousand sad clowns in the world today." Joyce Sloan, the woman who nurtured more than three generations of comedians from Gilda Radner and John Belushi to Nia Vardalos and Tina Fey, passed away this week at the age of 80 at her home.

For more than 40 years, Sloan worked ceaselessly at Chicago's famed Second City, developing new initiatives such as the Second City National Touring Company, Second City e.t.c., and co-founding Second City Toronto as well as producing shows, managing operations, and most importantly looking out for her immensely talented "kids," her performers.

Sloan became a mentor, role model, and den mother to the many actors and comics who filtered in and out of the theater over the decades. Those who had the privilege of working with her describe her warmth and support as key in helping many anxiety-ridden comics make the transition from Second City hopeful to Second City success.

In addition to her work with Second City, Sloan maintained robust involvement in the Chicago theater scene. She is a founding member of the Victory Gardens Theater and has served on the boards of The Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, and NorthLight. She is the recipient of numerous awards including, The League of Chicago Theatre's Connie Callahan Award for commitment to Chicago theatre, a Special Award from Women in Film, The Mercedes-Benz Mentoring Award, and The Chicago Drama League Crystal Award.