Second City, Redux.

Sean McLaughlin
July 9, 2022

I’ve written in the past about how I had been invited to join a local Improv Comedy group here in Colorado for a one-off show back in May.

While this may sound random, I do actually have some professional improv training. I took a year of classes at Chicago’s famous Second City Theater and then a couple more sessions at Improv Olympic (also in Chicago) back in 2006. It was just for fun. I had no illusions of ever becoming an actor of any kind.

Well, the show I was invited to participate in back in May went off without a hitch. We played in front of a sold-out room (it only seats 110 people) and by all accounts, it was a fantastic success. For me personally, I was just happy I didn’t suck! LOL!

We were eventually invited to come back again and I was once again asked to participate.

This most recent show took place this past weekend and, once again, it was a great success!

Here’s me in the front on stage with two other members of our team:

If nothing else, performing with this group has been a wonderful catalyst to work on my listening skills. If you’re not listening while improvising on stage, you’re floundering. And there’s no hiding it.

I’ve still got a ways to go to shake the rust off — not that I was a “Pro” by any means back in 2006. But it sure has been wonderful exercising some underused muscles that could definitely use some toning.

What does this have to do with options trading? Nothing at all.

But it is a reminder to me that there is more to living than whatever I’m watching on my screens during the trading day. And might stronger listening skills translate into “hearing” more about what price and volume action is telling me in the market? It can’t hurt.

~ @chicagosean

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