Second City skewers the candidates one last time

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Getting tired of the longest presidential campaign in American history?

Get some welcome relief with political humor dished out by some of Chicago's funniest comics.

The Second City Touring Co. takes to the stage at Governor State University's Center for Performing Arts with "DeFace the Nation" at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Cast member Abby McEnany describes the program as a series of sketches, all politically based, and culled from the City's recent and past archives, encompassing Bush, Clinton, Obama, the other Clinton, Sarah Palin and more.

"Politics hasn't changed all that much," McEnany says.

Most of the sketches have scripts developed and refined through improvisations; some make use of improvisation and interaction with the audience.

One shows us the two different kinds of people Obama is said to appeal to.

Another describes people's dreams of the kind of President who would meet all their needs. Another sketch was one that Tina Fey played in during her days with Second City.

An improvised debate enlightens audience members as to the candidates' views and proposals. But do they know what they're talking about?

Performed by six actors and one musician, the program consists of two 45- to 50-minute acts with intermission.

McEnany didn't get started in improvisational theater until after she graduated from the University of Chicago. She studied at Second City Training Center, IO and the Annoyance, and currently performs with the all-female improv troupe Sirens. This past summer she performed in Bar Harbor, Maine, and appeared in "A&E," a two-person sketch show (with Erin McEvoy), as part of the Unhinged Series at Second City.

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