About Leila
Tall and angular, Gorstein has fun bending herself through her repertoire of right angles and yet her work also comes with the rhetorical rush of a Sarah Silverman-like standup. Most Second City performers are either most adept at physical comedy or at the kind of verbosity that could also work behind a "Weekend Update" desk. Gorstein, who can focus the audience, stoned or otherwise, with just the raising of one eyebrow, can do both.
— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
“Leila Gorstein may be one of the most versatile comedians in Chicago today, with a remarkable knack for blending guilelessness and mischievousness in her characters.”
“Gorstein is, for me, the big new e.t.c talent...She’s vulnerable on stage, too, a crucial quality in comedy and one that has been in short supply here in recent years”
Leila Gorstein is an actor, writer, and scorpio based in Chicago. She grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and was proudly one of four Jewish people there. After getting her BA in Theater from Indiana University, Leila moved to Chicago to join the incredible Comedy community. Leila trained at The Second City, iO Theater, and Annoyance for many years and performed around Chicago with her independent improv teams Alterboyz and Brady. Leila also performed aboard the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship with The Second City for several months. In addition, Leila was an actor, writer, and producer on the morning tv show Toon in with Me on MeTV. Leila co-wrote and co-starred in a hallmark parody film called Love Dump with her writing partner and co-star Jesse Kendall. Love Dump is an official 2023 Slamdance Film Festival selection. Leila toured with The Second City National Touring Company, performing sketch and improv around the country on Redco. Currently, Leila is performing on the ETC stage at Second City in the Jeff Recommended Revue, Oh The Places You’ll Glow, written and performed by the ensemble. When Leila isn’t performing, you might find her biking around town or eating plantain chips from Trader Joes.