Fey's star rose even higher a year later, when she crossed over as a performer. This won Fey the respect of executive producer Lorne Michaels, who became a mentor. As one of the minds behind such hit recurring bits as the merciless satire of "The View" and the Boston video camera-toting teen parody "Sully and Denise" (starring Jimmy Fallon and Fey's frequent comedy collaborator and fellow Second City alum Rachel Dratch), Fey set herself apart as one of the show's more consistent and contemporary writers. Despite being one of the only female writers on staff, Fey proved her worth in the competitive, testosterone-laden environment of the writers' room. In 1997, she landed the break of her career when she was invited to join the writing staff of "SNL" by the iconic show's then head writer, Adam McKay. The pair's show "Dratch & Fey" garnered rave reviews in its 1999 debut at Second City and its 2000 run at New York's Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater.Fey's hard work in the Citizen's Brigade did not go unnoticed. Fey quickly developed a comedic partnership with troupe member Rachel Dratch. It was there that Fey established herself as a member of The Upright Citizen's Brigade - an improvisational comedy troupe that included Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz (both of whom, Fey would reunite with later on "SNL"). By 1994, Fey was invited to join The Second City's cast - a thrilling accomplishment for anyone who valued American comedy. Her hard work honing her comedic gifts eventually paid off. It was during this period that Fey took what she later described as an "amateurish" stab at stand-up comedy. Working at the Y by day, Fey spent her nights taking classes at The Second City Training Center. After graduating in 1992, Fey moved to Chicago where she supported herself as a clerk at the YMCA. In 1988, Fey enrolled at the University of Virginia, where she eventually earned a degree in drama. Intellectually inclined, not surprisingly, Fey excelled in academics. Fey recalled her education beginning at the age of four, when her parents snuck her in to see Mel Brooks' comic classic, "Young Frankenstein" (1974). Born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey in Upper Darby, PA, this multi-talented performer developed her appreciation for comedy at an early age.
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