This Too Shall Slap at Second City

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...A pervasive undercurrent of anxiety runs through the new Second City mainstage revue as a mostly fresh cast tries to figure out the role of progressive sketch comedy within the aggressive landscape of Trump 2.0. A version of this uncertainty has afflicted this once supremely confident comedy institution since Trump 1.0, of course, but it has only intensified. You can see it right there in the show's title: "This Too Shall Slap.""

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...The show?s inward focus makes ?Slap? feel both timely and timeless in how its characters engage with the world. In one standout ensemble scene, a senior citizen named Davis, played by the elastic Jordan Stafford, attempts to wish his sister a happy birthday but continues to dial the wrong number. The folks who answer are ostensibly strangers, but Davis eagerly engages them in conversation, primarily wondering how they are doing. Each time, the strangers are struck by his earnestness and immediately warm to their new acquaintance."

Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...Do you need to be reminded of how awful and surreal everything is? Probably not, and Second City's latest mainstage show, This Too Shall Slap, understands that. Directed by Jen Ellison, the 113th revue from the comedy behemoth is largely devoid of obvious commentary on the deadly D.C. circus. But it's also perfectly aligned with the angst and anger of our times."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended

"...This Too Shall Slap. The title of the show says it all, my friends. "Second City," my ass, Chicago is first in comedy. I'd heard the buzz that this show was excellent, and I was delighted to check it out."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Their new show, in fact, their 113th Mainstage production, entitled "This Too Shal Slap" is by far the best of their last five years ( or more). The cast of six amazing performers is dynamic, entertaining and extremely energetic. From start to finish these six comics hold the audience captive for the entire two hours. During intermission, all I heard were the people around me saying they were ready for act II- they were having "the time of their life"."

Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended

"...For 66 years, Second City has set the standard for sketch comedy in Chicago and beyond. Its Mainstage shows are rooted in the theater's long-perfected formula-a two-hour mix of political satire with clever character pieces and a healthy dose of absurdity, united under a zany banner like Do the Right Thing, But No Worries If Not (2022) or Sexual Perversity Among the Buffalo (1978). This Too Shall Slap, which opened Thursday night, is Second City's 113th mainstage revue and quite possibly the silliest one yet."