The Second City Announces Recipients of The Inaugural Victor Wong Fellowship For AAPI Voices In Comedy

The First Class Of Victor Wong Fellows Join A Tuition-Free Program Concluding With A Showcase
Event On A Second City Stage In Chicago

CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Legendary Chicago comedy institution The Second City is proud to announce the inaugural recipients of the Victor Wong Fellowship for Asian American Pacific Islander Voices in Comedy. Named after The Second City’s first Asian-American performer and funded by the family foundation of Peng Zhao, CEO of Citadel Securities, the fellowship will support the professional training and development of a cohort of actors and music directors.

“A program like this is incredibly important for empowering the Asian American community, not only through a comedic lens but in providing more opportunities to share our stories & culture,” said The Second City’s Showcase Director and Program Creative Lead, Jonald Reyes.

After receiving and reviewing over 100 submissions, the following recipients were selected to begin training with The Second City this February: 

Acting Track Recipients

• Ali Khan (he/him)
• Christina Hilliard (she/her)
• Courtney Sullivan Wu (she/her)
• Harrison Hapin (he/him)
• Heather Mari (she/her)
• Huy Nguyen (he/him)
• Jef Chi (he/him)
• Luke Moghimi Connell (he/him)
• Natasha Mirza (she/her)
• Nick Joe (he/him)
• Tanvi Kumar (she/her)

Music Director Track Recipients

• Joshua Chan (he/him)
• Katherine Elise Plier (she/they)
• Maya Tanaka Allwardt (she/her)
• Yuxin Lu (they/them)

“We could not be more thrilled with the caliber and diversity of talent and perspectives represented in our inaugural Victor Wong Fellowship cohort. We can’t wait to see what they create together,” said The Second City’s Managing Artistic Director, Julie Dumais Osborne. 

Following the tuition-free program, the fellowship will conclude with a showcase event on a Second City stage in Chicago. The culminating run of public performances is scheduled for May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2023.

About The Second City

The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world’s most influential name in improvisation and comedy. It celebrated its 63rd year in business on December 16th, 2022. The Second City’s stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad and artistic home for many of the funniest performers, writers, directors, and comedic minds on the planet.

For more information on The Second City, visit www.secondcity.com and follow The Second City on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Press Contact: Colleen Fahey VP of Marketing,
The Second City [email protected]
(312) 662-4516

SOURCE The Second City