What You Need to Know About Judy Fabjance

One day in 1992, our producer Cheryl Sloane met a 16-year-old named Judy Fabjance who professed that she wanted to work at Second City more than anything else in the whole world. Cheryl offered her a host position, and Judy has been a treasured member of the Second City family every day since.

“Treasured” is actually a bit of an undersell. Every single person at Second City whose life has been touched by Judy Fabjance, from Level A student to lauded alum, will tell you that she is an absolute paragon of a human being with the heart of a lion beating beneath that sweet veneer.

Judy’s trajectory at Second City took off shortly after she joined the staff at our Northwest location. She began studying improv and acting with some of our most notable instructors--Martin de Maat, Norm Holly, Anne Libera, Mick Napier, and many others.

In 1996, Second City’s Outreach and Diversity division helped launch a sketch and improv troupe called GayCo Productions. Judy’s first big splash was as part of this trailblazing ensemble, which went on to create dozens of critically-acclaimed revues that didn’t just open the door for the LGBTQ comedy community it essentially hacked that door into a million pieces. We credit Judy’s talent and drive for making GayCo such a roaring success.

In addition to performing, Judy is easily the most-loved teacher at The Second City Training Center and also leads improv games at two different special needs schools in Chicago. Once a shy kid herself, Judy loves to watch young students come out of their shells. Her aim has never been to teach comedy; she strives to change people’s lives for the better, claiming, “the world would be a better place if everyone took at least one improv class.”

Judy was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in 2008. She fought it like the warrior she is and spent three years in remission. It was during this time that she wrote and performed her first of two cancer-themed shows, “Are You There, Judy? It’s Me, Cancer.” And guess what? After almost every single performance, audience members would surround Judy to share their own personal experiences, sometimes sobbing, to let her know just how much the show meant to them. One of Judy’s greatest gifts as an artist is the seemingly effortless way she can help people face and even laugh about one of life’s most difficult and feared subjects.

Judy has not been fighting this battle alone. At her side every step of the way have have been her incredible wife Kelly and their kind, lovely daughter Daphne, to whom Judy’s love and devotion know no bounds.

With uncompromising strength, grace and, of course, humor, Judy recently made the choice to return home for hospice care and is spending her time surrounded by friends and family. She has been a tower of strength and inspiration to all us at Second City since the day she came into our lives as that eager 16-year-old, and we are all blessed to call her a member of our family.

- Andrew Alexander, Kelly Leonard, Kerry Sheehan