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| | '''Lewis Black''' is a [[Jewish]]-[[American]] comedian who currently performs on ''[[The Daily Show]] with [[Jon Stewart]].'' His segment, "Back in Black," features self-depreciating humor. | | '''Lewis Black''' is a [[Jewish]]-[[American]] comedian who currently performs on ''[[The Daily Show]] with [[Jon Stewart]].'' His segment, "Back in Black," features self-depreciating humor. |
| − | =Early life=
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| − | Black was born in Washington, D.C. to a middle-class Jewish family, and was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland graduating from Springbrook High School in 1966. He was exposed to playwriting as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was also a brother of Pi Lambda Phi International Fraternities and sororities. He earned a Masters in Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama in 1977. Originally, his career was in the theater as a playwright. He served as the playwright in residence and associate artistic director of Steve Olsen's West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theatre Bar in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan|Hell's Kitchen in New York City, where he collaborated with composer and lyricist Rusty Magee on hundreds of one-act plays from 1981 to 1989. Also with Rusty Magee, Lewis wrote the musical ''The Czar Of Rock and Roll'', which premiered at Houston's Alley Theatre in 1990. Black's stand-up comedy began as an opening act for the plays as he was also the Master of Ceremonies. After a management change at the theater, Black left and began working as a comedian as well as finding bit parts in television and films.
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| − | =Comedic style=
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| − | Lewis Black's style of comedy is that of a man who, in dealing with the absurdities of life and contemporary politics, is approaching his personal limits of sanity. Sarcasm, hyperbole, profanity, shouting, and trademark angry finger-shaking bring emphasis to his topics of discussion. He once described his humor as "being on the ''Titanic'' every single day and being the only person who knows what is going to happen."
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| − | Black lists his comedic influences as George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Bob Newhart, and Shelley Berman.<ref>[http://www.avclub.com/content/node/49217/1 Black's influences]</ref>
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| − | =Media releases=
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| − | ==CDs==
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| − | *''[[The White Album (Lewis Black album)|The White Album]]'' (2000)
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| − | *''[[Revolver (Lewis Black album)|Revolver]]'' (2002)
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| − | *''[[The End of the Universe]]'' (2002)
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| − | *''[[Rules of Enragement]]'' (2003)
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| − | *''[[Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues]]'' (2005)
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| − | *''[[The Carnegie Hall Performance]]'' (2006)
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| − | ==DVDs==
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| − | *''Unleashed'' (compilation of his 4 Comedy Central specials plus his appearances on ''[[The Daily Show: Indecision 2000]]'') (2002)
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| − | *''Black On Broadway'' (2003 HBO Special) (2004)
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| − | *''A Pair of Lewis Black Shorts'' (''Sidesplitters: The Burt & Dick Story'' and ''The Gynecologists'') (2006)
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| − | *''Red, White, and Screwed'' (2006 HBO Special)
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| − | =External links=
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| − | *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJEeyLeqJHc Lewis Black talks about Conservapedia]
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| − | *[http://www.lewisblack.net/ Lewis Black's Official Site]
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| − | *[http://standupcomedyacts.blogspot.com/2007/05/lewis-black.html Lewis Black's Stand Up Comedy Acts] a small video collection
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| − | *{{imdb name|id=0085400|name=Lewis Black}}
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| − | *[http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/ Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]
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| − | *[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1645231586692152749&q=innerviews InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: Lewis Black] (TV Interview)
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| − | *[http://www.backnblack.com/index.html Lewis Black - The Less than Official Website]
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| − | *[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4580711 Interview with Black] on [[National Public Radio|NPR]]'s ''[[Fresh Air]]'' ([[April 7]] [[2005]])
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| − | *[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=946717 Interview with Black] on [[National Public Radio|NPR]]'s ''[[Talk of the Nation]]'' ([[January 29]] [[2003]])
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| − | *[http://www.avclub.com/content/node/49217/1 Onion A.V. Club Interview]
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| − | *[http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/television/story.html?id=a6194208-4ee7-4738-beb0-223003d6bb03&k=82285 Interview with Lewis Black by Maurie Sherman]
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| − | *[http://www.myspace.com/lewisblack Lewis Black MySpace Page]
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| − | *[http://www.standuprecords.com/ Stand Up! Records]
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| − | *[http://www.realdetroitweekly.com/article_3467.shtml Interview, Real Detroit Weekly (November 13, 2007)]
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| | [[Category:Comedians]] | | [[Category:Comedians]] |