Lewis Black

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

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.

Comedic style

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."

Black lists his comedic influences as George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Bob Newhart, and Shelley Berman.

Media releases

CDs

• The White Album (2000)
• Revolver (2002)
• The End of the Universe (2002)
• Rules of Enragement (2003)
• Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues (2005)
• The Carnegie Hall Performance (2006)

DVDs

• Unleashed (compilation of his 4 Comedy Central specials plus his appearances on The Daily Show: Indecision 2000) (2002)
• Black On Broadway (2003 HBO Special) (2004)
• A Pair of Lewis Black Shorts (Sidesplitters: The Burt & Dick Story and The Gynecologists) (2006)
• Red, White, and Screwed (2006 HBO Special)

External links

• Lewis Black talks about Conservapedia
• Lewis Black's Official Site
• Lewis Black's Stand Up Comedy Acts a small video collection
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• Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
• InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: Lewis Black (TV Interview)
• Lewis Black - The Less than Official Website
• Interview with Black on NPR's Fresh Air (April 7 2005)
• Interview with Black on NPR's Talk of the Nation (January 29 2003)
• Onion A.V. Club Interview
• Interview with Lewis Black by Maurie Sherman
• Lewis Black MySpace Page
• Stand Up! Records
• Interview, Real Detroit Weekly (November 13, 2007)