|Nancy.Hayden|

You know those people you meet and it feels like you’ve known them your whole life? Yeah, that’s Nancy. She’s someone I could sit and talk with for hours.

Nancy Hayden is the Artistic Director of The Second City in Chicago. Our paths crossed when she still lived in Los Angeles. We had instant chemistry. I read (and loved) a spec she’d written, but when we couldn’t get any traction with it (hey, no project is truly dead, right?!), we promised some day we’d find something else to work on together.

This Q&A will have to do in the meantime…

RS:  How do you become the Artistic Director of a legendary improv company during a pandemic?  

NH:  Same way you get to Broadway – practice, practice, practice! The AD part came through a couple decades of working my way up through The Second City as a performer, instructor, director, producer… I eventually became Associate Artistic Director of SC Hollywood and from there I became AD in Chicago. The pandemic part was just luck! 😉 I officially started the job the very Monday the lockdown began. That will forever make a good story.

RS:  What’s a day in the life of Nancy look like? 

NH:  After I walk my dog I make coffee… Oh, you mean the job! My main duty and privilege is to oversee and assist the 100+ teachers of SC Chicago – they are an amazingly experienced group of working professionals and working with them is one of the biggest highlights of my job. I also get to design and create the curriculum for the Training Center which is so much creative fun and make new partnerships for the outreach and growth of the TC. Then there are very exciting duties such as running auditions, watching class shows etc.

RS:  How do you challenge yourself?

NH:  Plenty of opportunity to do that after this past year. As we attempt to emerge from the pandemic we are tasked with managing our “new normal.” For me, that includes rebuilding our training center class numbers and always seeking to add new classes and programs. Personally, I’ve been challenging myself to wear pants most days! So far, I’ve hit that goal some days.

RS:  So many legendary people have come out of Second City: Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Steve Carell… the list goes on and on. How does one get past that intimidation factor?

NH:  Luckily, when I first auditioned and got hired at The Second City I was too young to be as terrified as I probably should have been. And once you’re in and are doing the work, you’re definitely intimidated once you get the opportunity to meet and (if you’re lucky) even work with some of our most incredible alumni. But I have tried to use those opportunities to be inspired rather than intimidated. Sometimes it works. (Although I did once tell Fred Willard that “I liked his shoes” when I met him as opposed to telling him how much I’ve loved his work – super tanked that moment.)

Overcoming Intimidation: I was too young to be terrified. I’ve tried to use those opportunities to be inspired rather than intimidated.

RS:  Where do you draw your confidence from? 

NH:  That’s easy – from my scene partners/castmates. The thing I love most about improv is that it’s an ensemble art form. If you’re doing it correctly, you’re only as good as your scene partner, no one is grandstanding and you’re going to sink or swim together. I love that camaraderie and I rely on it to help me feel comfortable in front of any audience.

RS:  Improv truly is an art form. What’s the number one thing students have difficulty nailing down? 

NH:  Believe it or not, even though most improv is about comedy, the number one lesson most beginning improv students struggle with is not trying to be funny. Comedy is all about committing fully to the reality of the scene and playing it earnestly from the character’s point of view.

The best improvisers play comedy as if their characters think it’s drama.

The more the actors “wink” at the audience or push for the joke, the more they remove the audience from the scene. The best improvisers play comedy as if their characters think it’s drama.

RS:  When do you know you’ve spotted talent? Can you articulate that “it” factor? 

NH:  Wow, softball question, much? That is such a subjective moment, it’s really hard to put it into words.

I’m a true believer that training, discipline and hard work can make people grow in leaps and bounds.

But I think it has something to do with natural charisma, that may be the part people are born with that potentially sets them apart from the crowd. BUT. I’m a true believer that training, discipline and hard work can make people grow in leaps and bounds. And “natural” talent is no replacement for commitment, professionalism and reliability. One might get you in the door but the rest of those skills are what will keep you working.

RS:  Did you always want to perform and write? 

NH:  Perform, yes, absolutely! Started doing plays and musicals when I was 7 and played the Nana in The Velveteen Rabbit. But, although, I loved creative writing in high school and college, it wasn’t until I got into the cast of The Second City that I began to consider pursuing writing as a marketable skill. The casts at SC write and perform all of the revues and writing sketch comedy taught me SO much.

RS:  How does improv play a role in your writing? 

NH:  We’re always improvising our way through life. So, when I’m working on a scene for a pilot I may be writing alone in my room (sans pants btw) but I’m definitely improvising as I play out in my head the scene and its dialogue. We also use improv a ton in writers’ rooms as we punch up jokes and dialogue, right? Bouncing those ideas off of each other is exactly what we do at The Second City when we improvise and turn a scene into a sketch.

RS:  Improvisation has so many life benefits; it can better one’s listening skills, work on team building, and strengthens one’s ability to think on their feet. Beyond your day job, how has it benefited you in your own life? 

NH:  I won’t get up on my soapbox right now and boldly announce that improv can save lives…but it super can in my humble opinion. And I’m far from being the only one who believes that. My students tell me all the time that improv training and its tenets of agreement, listening and support of one another has made them a better parent, partner, co-worker, boss, teacher, nurse, attorney…the list goes on. It builds confidence that you can handle any situation and helps you stay in and play each moment as they come. Truly Zen stuff, when done correctly.

My students tell me all the time that improv training and its tenets of agreement, listening and support of one another has made them a better parent, partner, co-worker, boss, teacher, nurse, attorney…the list goes on.

RS:  Was comedy and a sense of humor a big part of your childhood? 

NH:  100%! My whole family is hysterical and we laughed our way through life, something I’m very grateful for. My brother, especially, was a huge influence on my sense of humor. I used to sneak and listen to his Steve Martin and Richard Pryor albums to learn timing and we would sit at the dinner table and re-enact word for word scenes from our favorite sitcoms we’d watched the night before. Drove my sister insane!

I used to sneak and listen to Steve Martin and Richard Pryor albums to learn timing.

RS:  Who have been some of your mentors and why? 

NH:  I was a HUGE Gilda Radner fan even before I knew what The Second City was and that she’d gotten her start there. She was from Detroit, like me, and I just thought she was so, so, soooo funny but also seemed sweet and good and full of joy. She made you smile just to look at her even before she made you laugh. I could talk about her all day. I also love Catharine O’Hara, Andrea Martin and Elaine May. Some of my comedic writing mentors are Nora Ephron, Carrie Fisher and Trey Parker and Matt Stone. (Took a bit of a left turn there, I know.) I love the combo of comedy and musical theater and I think they’re brilliant at it.

RS:  What has been some surprising advice you’ve gotten? What’s been the worst advice you ever received? 

NH:  Surprising – that no one, even in the upper echelons of our business, truly knows what they’re doing and that we’re all just making it up as we go along. When you embrace that, and you’re an improviser, it makes you a lot more confident in meetings/auditions of any level.

On worst advice received:  A producer told me that sketch ensembles do their best work when there is some feeling of discord or contention. That if they get along “too well” the work will be boring. WRONG. You don’t need to be a jerk to do good work. In fact, you’ll go a lot farther if you’re nice.

Also, that Hollywood is a small town and community. It really is true! Worst advice was from a producer who told me that sketch ensembles do their best work when there is some feeling of discord or contention. That if they get along “too well” the work will be boring. WRONG. You don’t need to be a jerk to do good work. In fact, you’ll go a lot farther if you’re nice.

RS:  If you could switch places with someone for one day, who would it be and why? 

NH:  Wow. That’s tough. You’re running the risk of having me do years of work to be happy in my own skin.  Ummmm…maybe Serena Williams? I’d say everything I’ve achieved in my life has been accomplished with my mind and wits, I think it would be really cool to know for a day what it feels like to be that physically (and mentally) brilliant.

RS:  What does the perfect day look like for you? 

NH:  Coffee, my husband and dog, slow start to a sunny but cool day at a house on Lake Michigan. Then taking long walks, cooking some delicious food, reading and watching movies. Then rinse and repeat every day for a couple weeks.

RS:  Best binge worthy show? 

NH:  Definitely depends on the genre. I’ve watched the entirety of The West Wing at least four or five times. Comedy? I loved Parks & Recreation, I thought the character arcs were funny and sweet and touching and wonderful. Speaking of brilliant arcs, like everyone else I’m a huge Schitt’s Creek fan, could watch that over and over for sure. Other incredibly funny shows I’ve binged several times – The IT Crowd, The Carol Burnett Show, Miranda, French & Saunders, Ab Fab, Mr. Show, Strangers With Candy, That Mitchell & Webb Look…

RS:  What show — current and from the past — defines your kind of humor and the comedy you like to write? 

NH:  While I would in no way compare my abilities as a creator to those of a Phoebe Waller Bridge, I’d say Fleabag is a show that struck a chord with SO many of us because we all see ourselves as huge messes who are constantly striving to get our shit together and do better, while continuing to get in our own way.

I’m drawn to creating characters like Fleabag and Liz Lemon who bungle their lives on the regular but manage to get up the next day and try it again.

I’m drawn to creating characters like Fleabag and Liz Lemon who bungle their lives on the regular but manage to get up the next day and try it again. I root for them. I want them to win. And I love the pathos that come along with characters like Fleabag as well. Laughter that comes out of heartbreak and cringing – that’s good stuff right there.

RS:  Do you want to branch out from solely comedy? What other genres intrigue you? 

NH:  Everything intrigues me. I love historical romance fiction, would love to write something like that. I’d also love – seriously – to write a Hallmark-style Christmas movie. There’s something just so soothing and cheesily joyful about movies like that. I’m intrigued by procedural drama and how to slowly explore those characters while solving mysteries/crimes etc.

RS:  If you had access to studio and network executives and could ask them anything, what would it be?

NH:  Would you like to produce my pilot Pretty Face? It’s really good, I promise! 😉

RS:  What is on the horizon for you? 

NH:  In the writing realms, who knows?? I’m excited for all of us to process the insanity and stressors we’re living through and see what it does to all of our styles and points of view. I think our senses of humor and general takes on life will be altered in ways we don’t yet understand. At The Second City, as we return to in-person classroom learning at the Training Center, I’m excited to keep going with the virtual training we were forced to create during the lockdown. That will continue to give us a chance to reach students around the world and I’m so excited to explore those opportunities!

RS:  Last question: What is one thing about yourself that you have never revealed – that would surprise people you know?

NH:  I have never done standup comedy and the thought of it terrifies me! I’ll get on any stage, any time, but I’m all about hiding behind a character and relying on the others onstage with me. Like many comedians, I can be pretty quiet and introverted – sometimes. When I’m with close friends, though, you can’t shut me up. Like now! I could talk to you forever, Rebecca! Thanks so much for having me!

There you have it. Comedy golden nuggets from the naturally gifted (who works SUPER hard)… Nancy Hayden.

Nancy is a comedy treasure. You may not know who she is, but I still have faith that in the not too distant future, you will definitely know her name. She’s one of those diamonds in the rough. On the surface she’ll become this “overnight success” who you’ll discover was decades in the making.

Update: Nancy is now the Executive Director of The Detroit Creativity Project.

BIO: 

Nancy Hayden began her comedy career as a writer/performer in The Second City Detroit Mainstage cast, co-writing and appearing in five revues. She went on to direct several Second City productions and served as Producer of The Second City Detroit.

Nancy has worked as a staff writer for “Detroiters” on Comedy Central, as well as several productions for Bravo, including “Bravo After Hours” and the digital series, “Ex-Housewife.” She co-wrote “Love, Factually” for The Kennedy Center.

She served as Associate Artistic Director of The Second City Hollywood before relocating back to her Midwestern roots when she was named Artistic Director of Education for the Second City Chicago.