Two seniors to train at an improvisation theater in Chicago

Look out, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Two TCU seniors are coming to follow in your footsteps.

Senior film-television-digital media majors Judith Schomp and Paige Love are planning to move to Chicago after graduation to go through training with The Second City, an improvisation theater where many famous comedians train.

“Chicago is the mecca for comedy, the way New York is with theater and LA is with film acting,” Love said. “Chicago is where a lot of comedians start out. It’s not the only city, but it’s the best.”

Love had done improvisation in theater camps and classes since junior high but did not perform with a troupe until she came to college.

She saw Senseless Acts of Comedy at the activities fair her freshman year and then started going to their training group, Loose Ends. Then she tried out to be in SAC.

As time passed, Love realized that improvisation was her passion.

“For a while I was really scared to say, ‘Hey, this is what I want to do,’ but after a while I thought, ‘How could I not?’ There’s nothing I love more,” Love said.

Schomp, who has done improvisation since her freshman year of high school, said she knew she wanted to be in SAC even before she came to TCU.

“When I chose a college, I wanted to be on the improv troupe,” Schomp said. “So I even got in contact with Senseless Acts of Comedy before I got here.”

Love and Schomp went to a summer intensive class with iO in Chicago last summer and received a chance to work with each other outside of TCU.

Both are serious about pursuing comedy, and Love said the two worked and performed well together.

They are excited about the opportunities, but Schomp was trying to keep her expectations low, she said.

“I’m just really excited to go up there and — this sounds hippie — but exist,” Schomp said. “Just not have any expectations, not go up there like, ‘Oh, I want to be on [“Saturday Night Live”].’ I just want to go and become a true actress and improviser and just enjoy my time there.”