The Second City Announces 'Creative Collective' Braintrust as Artistic Director

Andrew Alexander, CEO/Executive Producer of The Second City Inc., has announced the creation of The Second City Creative Collective. This braintrust will function as the Artistic Director of the company and will be composed of eight current Second City talent and alumni.

In addition to focusing on the company's staunch commitment to diversity and inclusion, the Creative Collective will develop and nurture new Second City Theatrical and video projects and, in the continued tradition of the ensemble, will oversee the creative processes of the Mainstage and e.t.c. theaters.

The Second City has also promoted two longtime staff members. StEve Johnston is now President of The Second City and Bob Knuth is Creative Director of Marketing and Brand. With these moves, The Second City seeks to strengthen and continue its collective creative focus on topical, inclusive and relevant comedy that empowers and celebrates the voices of an ever-changing, ever-expanding cast.

"One of Steve's major strengths is his strong ability to listen. Over these last twelve years, he has shown me that he has a keen sense of what makes Second City tick," states Andrew Alexander. "His innate optimism and commitment to supporting Second City's creative process makes him the ideal candidate to lead us into the next exciting phase of Second City's evolution."

In regards to Bob Knuth, Mr. Alexander states, "Bob Knuth is a Second City gem. His creative instincts and extraordinary collaborative style will serve him well in this next phase of his Second City career, overseeing graphics, set design and Second City branding." Knuth's role in continuing to develop the Second City brand identity complements his years of artistic contributions to Second City stages as de facto set and show art designer-in-residence.

With twelve years at The Second City and eight spent the new media and advertising industries, StEve Johnston has a track record of successfully developing new ventures, building from the ground up, and driving growth. As President & Managing Partner of Second City's business arm, Second City Works, he utilized the principles of improvisation to triple business in the areas of creative services, professional education, technology and entertainment. These efforts were also recognized by the Chicago Innovation Foundation, who presented Johnston with the Chicago Reinvention Award.

As President of The Second City, Johnston's main objective is to help lead the company towards its next phase of artistic and commercial success. As a passionate believer in the transformative power of improvisation and comedy to challenge conventional thinking, Johnston is energized to work with the talented staff member across all divisions and regions of The Second City, Inc. Steve resides in Chicago with his wife Tina, his two daughters, Emma and Kate, and his bulldog, Rudy.

Bob Knuth began his tenure with The Second City in 2005 as Art Director. He oversees branding, graphics and interior/environmental design for the entirety of The Second City, including all stages, Touring Companies and Training Centers in Chicago, Toronto and Hollywood. Knuth's career highlights have included preparation for Second City's 50th Anniversary, assisting with various expansions across all three cities and a company-wide rebrand in 2014.

After attending undergraduate school at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and completing two years of graduate studies in Design for the Theatre at Northwestern University, Knuth began his career in 1993 as The Managing Artistic Director for CenterLight Sign & Voice Theatre in Northbrook, IL. In 1998, Bob was appointed Senior Graphic Designer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and simultaneously was a member of the artistic team at Circle Theatre.

In addition to his work at The Second City, Knuth is an award-winning scenic designer in the Chicago theater community. He has been nominated for 15 Joseph Jefferson Awards for Outstanding Set Design and is a two-time winner.

In 2015, Bob received an In-House Design Merit Award from HOW Design Magazine for his graphic design promoting The Second City's 103rd Mainstage Revue, "Panic on Cloud 9."

Bob lives in Forest Park, IL with his husband of nineteen years, director and choreographer Kevin Bellie, and their two cats, Clara and Howard.

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