As the fourth week of classes winds down for students at the UB, moments of pure and uninterrupted laughter are beginning to seem, for many, few and far between.
Luckily for anyone suffering such woes, relief in the form of comic genius Steven Wright comes to the Center For the Arts at 7 p.m. Sunday.
For those who don't know, Steven Wright is the multitalented funny-man responsible for portraying such classic roles as the monotone K-Billy Sounds of the 70's DJ in "Reservoir Dogs," himself in 2003's "Coffee and Cigarettes" and, perhaps most notably, The Guy on the Couch in Dave Chappelle's "Half-Baked."
In addition to his work as an actor, Wright also has, since 1979, enjoyed a successful career in stand-up comedy, directed and starred in the HBO short film, "One Soldier," received a Grammy nomination for his 1985 comedy album "I Have a Pony" and won an Oscar for his work starring in the 1988 short film, "The Appointments of Dennis Jennings."
"I kind of like doing both stand-up and film stuff," said Wright. "I really like being in front of the live audience and performing, but I also love to work writing and acting in film. It's like I have two different things going on in my head and I'm really lucky to have an outlet for both of them."
Over the years Wright's stand-up work has acquired him a large and loyal fan base. He is most known for his steady delivery of quick one-line jokes and his distinctive monotone voice.
Although Wright has won or been nominated for many awards, and has enjoyed guest appearances on prominent television shows from "The Simpsons" to a long-running guest spot on "Mad About You," he says his proudest achievement is not an award.
"My proudest achievement is going on the 'Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.' That was the highlight of my life. Watching his show is what originally made me interested in going into comedy and being on it totally changed my life," said Wright.
While many students may recognize Wright simply as The Guy on the Couch, Wright is not bothered by this fact.
"Kids will see me on the street and scream 'Hey, you're the guy on the couch,' but won't even know my name. But it's great. Dave Chappelle is a really funny comedian and it was great to work with him," said Wright.
"Different generations recognize me for different things, a lot of kids used to know me as the radio voice in 'Reservoir Dogs' and before that people recognized me for the stand-up I did on Johnny (Carson's) show."
Wright, who attended Emerson College along with fellow comedian Dennis Leary, has fond memories of his college years when he began to seriously pursue his dream of becoming a comedian.
"My advice for any college student would be, if you have some dream, no matter what field it's in, you really have to give it a shot. Don't defeat yourself before you even get started," he said. "Before I started doing comedy it seemed like an unreachable dream, so my advice would be to try whatever you want do, no matter how crazy it seems."
This tactic has certainly paid off for Wright, who will appear in the feature film "The Son of the Mask," due out in theaters in roughly one month, and whose stand-up performances continue to sell out venues across the country.
Wright will be performing Sunday night at the CFA starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $23, or $18 for students. "I'll be doing an 85 to 90 minute set, changing what I'm talking about every five seconds and even playing some crazy songs on my guitar," said Wright. "It's going to be a lot of fun for anyone who comes."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
