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With a rise in popularity and a rise in noticeable talent, the world of stand-up comedy has become an increasingly harder one to break into. Not only must a comedian have the drive and talent to make it big, but he also needs to be original. This originality will set a person apart from the group and lead him to more notability and thus, more potential for fame.
One such comedian who has brought a unique brand of comedy to the stage, and thus gained acknowledgment and a following is the monotone Steven Wright, who will be performing at the Maine Center for the Arts this Thursday. With his everyday voice mixed with nonchalant randomness, Wright has become one of the most recognizable acts in comedy today and continues to tour more than 20 years after he first broke onto the scene.
“I feel very lucky,” Wright said. “How I speak is just how I speak.”
His voice has added to his success, but his monotone style of comedy and his unique sense of the world have added to it. On his Web site. He has an autobiography that epitomizes this form of humor.
“I was born. When I was 23 I started telling jokes. Then I started going on television and doing films. That’s still what I am doing. The end.”
His career has included appearances in several movies, two HBO specials and a short film called “The Appointments of Dennis Jennings” that won an Academy Award.
“[Winning the award] was excellent,” he said. “It was freaky. They liked my film so much they put it in theaters.”
His movie appearances, includes such cult hits as “Half Baked” and “Canadian Bacon,” which was one of legendary comedy actor John Candy’s last films before his untimely death.
“He was a really nice guy,” Wright said. “He was like a regular guy with no ’star’ attitude. I could’ve seen us maybe becoming good friends.”
Wright is best known to most college students for his role as “the guy on the couch” in “Half Baked.” Because of this, students might expect of a Dave Chapelle/Jim Bruer type of drug-related comedy routine.
“Nah, I don’t mention it [pot],” Wright said. “I have one joke about acid, but I won’t be doing that. The joke I mean.”
He went on to say that if the expectations students have for him are based on “Half Baked,” he thinks they will be surprised, but will enjoy the show that much more.
“I’ve been around so long,” Wright said. “People your age didn’t see me on HBO or Johnny Carson.”
He said that college shows are different from usual shows, but he doesn’t change things too much.
“Some material they [the college students] laugh at and some material they don’t,” he said. “You never can tell how an audience will react.”
Wright comes to Maine from his home state of Massachusetts.
“I’ve been to Maine many times before,” he said. “I’ve been to Orono twice before and Portland many times.”
He said that since his home is so close to Maine, he came here often growing up.
“When I was a kid, we used to go to Moosehead,” he said. “It’s such a gorgeous environment. I love Maine.”
His show will be this Thursday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the MCA. Tickets are on sale now.
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