Bernard Sahlins (; August 20, 1922 – June 16, 2013) was an American writer, director and comedian best known as a founder of

The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise and is the oldest ongoing improvisational theater troupe to be continually based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City Theatre o ...

improvisational comedy Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, a ...

troupe with

Paul Sills Paul Sills (born Paul Silverberg; November 18, 1927 – June 2, 2008) was an American director and improvisation teacher, and the original director of Chicago's The Second City. Life and career Sills was born Paul Silverberg in Chicago, Illinoi ...

and

Howard Alk Howard Alk (25 October 1930 – January 1982) was a Chicago, Illinois-based filmmaker, and an original co-founder of The Second City theater troupe. In the 1960s he began to work in film with the Chicago Film Group, filming and directing document ...

in 1959.Sahlins, Bernard (2001)
Days and Nights at the Second City.
via SCTV Guide Sahlins also opened the Second City Theatre in Toronto in 1973.

Biography

Born in Chicago, Sahlins graduated from

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

in 1943. His brother is anthropologist Marshall Sahlins. When Sahlins received an honorary doctorate from Columbia College Chicago in 2006, theatre department professor

Sheldon Patinkin Sheldon Arthur Patinkin (August 27, 1935 – September 21, 2014) was a chair of the Theater Department of Columbia College Chicago, Artistic Director of the Getz Theater of Columbia College, Artistic Consultant of The Second City and of Steppenw ...

wrote: In 1986, Sahlins co-founded both The University of Chicago's

Off-Off Campus Off-Off Campus is an improvisational and sketch comedy group at the University of Chicago. It was founded in 1986 by The Second City co-founder Bernie Sahlins, who is also an alumnus of the University of Chicago. Off-Off Campus stems from a tradi ...

and The International Theatre Festival of Chicago. Sahlins is the recipient of The Sergel prize for playwriting, The University of Chicago Professional Achievement Award, The Chicago Drama League’s Professional Achievement Award, Joseph Jefferson Awards for directing and professional achievement, The Illinois Arts Alliance "Legend" award, and the Improv Festival Achievement Award. On June 16, 2013, Sahlins died at his home of pancreatic cancer. Survivors include his wife of 44 years, Jane Nicholl Sahlins, and a brother, Marshall Sahlins, both of Chicago. His first marriage to Fritzi Sager ended in divorce. A daughter from his first marriage, Lee Sherry, died in 2012.

Bibliography

*Bernard Sahlins, Ivan R. Dee (Editor) (2001). ''Days and Nights at Second City''. *Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais and Bernard Sahlins (1990) ''The Marriage of Figaro: In a New Translation and Adaptation.'' Ivan R. Dee Publisher. *Bernard Sahlins, Molière (1999). ''The Bourgeois Gentleman (A Play)''. Samuel French ASIN B000MWX09E *Bernard Sahlins (2000). ''The Mysteries: Creation: A New Adaptation''. Ivan R. Dee, Publisher; New Ed edition. *Bernard Sahlins (1993). ''The Mysteries: The Passion''. Ivan R. Dee, Publisher; New Ed edition.

References

External links

* * when he received his honorary doctorate. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sahlins, Bernard 1922 births 2013 deaths American theatre directors The Second City University of Chicago alumni