Second City Works presents "Getting to Yes, And" Getting to Yes, And… | Anne Libera – ‘Funnier: Live from The Second City’
Oct 28, 2025
Anne Libera, Director of Comedy Studies at The Second City, shares insights from her new book, 'Funnier.' She emphasizes the importance of analyzing comedy for growth and the idea that comedy is a craft that can be taught. Libera defines five key components of comedy and discusses the universal appeal of character-driven humor. She also highlights the ethics of comedy and the need for comedians to develop their unique voice while considering audience sensitivity. Plus, her personal journey of humor amid family hardship adds a heartfelt touch.
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Comedy Targets An Audience
- Comedy is created to elicit laughter or humor for a specific audience.
- Anne Libera emphasizes tailoring comedy to who and where the audience is located.
Five Core Components Of Comedy
- Comedy shares five core components: jokes, physical comedy, narrative, character, and point of view.
- Libera argues these unities travel across mediums and help translate ideas between formats.
Dorothy Moment Reimagined
- Brendan Jennings staged a Dorothy/Tin Woodman beat that exposed an overlooked comic detail in The Wizard of Oz.
- The sketch flipped recognition into surprise by making a familiar moment suddenly absurd.
