Second City CEO Ed Wells steps down
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Photo: Courtesy of Timothy Schmidt/Cathy Taylor Productions
Second City CEO Ed Wells resigned as leader of Chicago's most celebrated comedy institution.
The big picture: Wells resigns after nearly four years, where he oversaw the launch of a new theater in Brooklyn, while navigating post-COVID theater losses and labor strife.
What they're saying: "It has been an honor and a highlight of my career to work at this legendary institution," Wells said in a statement to staff.
- "There has never been a greater need for the work that Second City does to bring people together through laughter."
Context: Wells, who came over from Sesame Street in 2022, was the first big-name hire after longtime owner Andrew Alexander sold the company to the global private equity firm ZMC in 2020.
State of play: The company will not hire a new CEO, instead giving the reins to co-presidents Elizabeth Howard and James Colquhoun.
Zoom out: Second City and Wells didn't give a reason for the departure, but it comes at a crucial time. The theater just announced it would switch up the format of its E.T.C. stage for its 50th anniversary, skipping the traditional sketch comedy revue for an all-improv show that will start this summer.
- The move is a departure for the company, which has long prided itself on using improvisation in the rehearsal process to write shows.
- The Second City's theater in Brooklyn hasn't been a smash success. Opened in 2024, the company hoped it could compete against New York's off-Broadway fare, but audiences have not flocked there. The company quickly pivoted away from the traditional revues and instead offers more visiting productions and standard improv shows.
- Under Wells, the company also saw labor strife. In 2024, Second City teachers threatened to strike over pay and working conditions, followed by the same threats from mainstage actors in 2025.
What we're watching: How the new leaders innovate around the legendary brand and what they do with the fledgling theater in Brooklyn.