Lewis Black

I was working my way up the ladder of theater. And theater, I started to notice more and more, was like an abusive orphanage.

I was working my way up the ladder of theater. And theater, I started to notice more and more, was like an abusive orphanage.

uh where you would go in and you should be treated awfully and uh it was like uh you know i mean you'd send a play in and then you'd send the play and then they'd oh we didn't you you wouldn't hear for a year you poured your life into the fulfillment of writing in lonely spaces yeah you give it to the world and then there's no applause yeah it takes a year and as i used to say it

uh where you would go in and you should be treated awfully and uh it was like uh you know i mean you'd send a play in and then you'd send the play and then they'd oh we didn't you you wouldn't hear for a year you poured your life into the fulfillment of writing in lonely spaces yeah you give it to the world and then there's no applause yeah it takes a year and as i used to say it

about it, you'd be better off as a playwright, I'm talking to you playwrights out there now, that if you took the play, put it in a bottle, and threw the bottle into a large body of water, that someone would pick that bottle up faster and to pull the play out and read it. It would all occur quicker than it ever did in any theater that I've ever seen.

about it, you'd be better off as a playwright, I'm talking to you playwrights out there now, that if you took the play, put it in a bottle, and threw the bottle into a large body of water, that someone would pick that bottle up faster and to pull the play out and read it. It would all occur quicker than it ever did in any theater that I've ever seen.

Yeah. I mean, it was, you know, you waited and waited and then you had to work with people, which was great. I mean, all of it was really what I wanted to do and really kept thinking I was going to do it. And I was doing it until I was 40 and that was the turning point. I'd gotten to AAA Ball, which is like a, you know, a repertory theater that's in the community that's really...

Yeah. I mean, it was, you know, you waited and waited and then you had to work with people, which was great. I mean, all of it was really what I wanted to do and really kept thinking I was going to do it. And I was doing it until I was 40 and that was the turning point. I'd gotten to AAA Ball, which is like a, you know, a repertory theater that's in the community that's really...

well-known, so this one was in Houston, and it's the Alley Theater, and I've been there forever. And I thought, you know, I've made it. You know, I finally made it, and that's the step I wanted. If I could get there and have my plays done at those types of theaters, great.

well-known, so this one was in Houston, and it's the Alley Theater, and I've been there forever. And I thought, you know, I've made it. You know, I finally made it, and that's the step I wanted. If I could get there and have my plays done at those types of theaters, great.

And I was... Then I could maybe get some teaching work and all of this stuff, and so I go there to do this, and it was... Everything they kind of told me was a lie, and it was just this horrible experience, and I went... I've kind of aspired. Now I'm finally getting to where I wanted to get. And, uh, it was awful.

And I was... Then I could maybe get some teaching work and all of this stuff, and so I go there to do this, and it was... Everything they kind of told me was a lie, and it was just this horrible experience, and I went... I've kind of aspired. Now I'm finally getting to where I wanted to get. And, uh, it was awful.

And, uh, I was supposed to stay on and work with people that, uh, that worked with them on the play. And they said, I said, well, you know, you're going to put me up and I was broke. Okay. So now I'm like, we had to actually take money. My friend, it was a musical that we wrote and, um, and I had to

And, uh, I was supposed to stay on and work with people that, uh, that worked with them on the play. And they said, I said, well, you know, you're going to put me up and I was broke. Okay. So now I'm like, we had to actually take money. My friend, it was a musical that we wrote and, um, and I had to

In order for us to get another actor, because we wanted a number of actors from New York, and they did not hire the amount of actors from New York that we requested. So I had to take money out of my salary. He did, too, in order to pay another actor.

In order for us to get another actor, because we wanted a number of actors from New York, and they did not hire the amount of actors from New York that we requested. So I had to take money out of my salary. He did, too, in order to pay another actor.

Oh, yeah. I mean I had – I was making enough money that I was fine day to day, everything fine, moving along. But no health insurance, no nothing, ridiculous. It was like crazy. But I ran a space in New York City from 30 to – about 30 to 38, 40 that was – A theater that, you know, a ton of people worked at. Everybody worked at it. It was a small downstairs theater, which was like, had a bar in it.

Oh, yeah. I mean I had – I was making enough money that I was fine day to day, everything fine, moving along. But no health insurance, no nothing, ridiculous. It was like crazy. But I ran a space in New York City from 30 to – about 30 to 38, 40 that was – A theater that, you know, a ton of people worked at. Everybody worked at it. It was a small downstairs theater, which was like, had a bar in it.

That was kind of the way we supported it. Had it was in a restaurant. The guy is a very close friend of mine and he's become it over time. We went downstairs and just started doing shows. And then people like Aaron Sorkin showed up because there was nowhere to get anything done when we were there. This was the 80s into the 90s. Nowhere.

That was kind of the way we supported it. Had it was in a restaurant. The guy is a very close friend of mine and he's become it over time. We went downstairs and just started doing shows. And then people like Aaron Sorkin showed up because there was nowhere to get anything done when we were there. This was the 80s into the 90s. Nowhere.