Exchange: Jewish Stand-Up Comedy Legends

Mondays, October 5 - 19 | 1 - 3 pm | $36 | 3 weeks
Instructor: Kathryn Bernheimer
As a follow-up to last spring’s Jewish Film and Television Comedy, this class explores the world of stand-up comedy. From the Borscht Belt comics to the 60’s social satirists to the stars of today, we pay tribute to the Jewish funny men and women who take to the stage armed only with a microphone and a mad desire to make us laugh. We will watch a large collection of clips as we discuss a baker’s dozen of comedy legends and how they reflected and shaped the Jewish experience. And…you don’t have to be Jewish to love this!
1. The Catskills and Early TV: Henny Youngman, Jack Benny, Buddy Hackett, Milton Berle
2. Nightclubs and Talk Shows: Joan Rivers, Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, Jackie Mason
3. The New Breed: Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Andy Kaufman, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman
Your instructor:
Kathryn Bernheimer is the Founding Director of the Boulder Jewish Film Festival and the retired Cultural Arts Director at the Boulder JCC. A former film critic and the author of two books of film criticism, she has spent her life teaching, presenting, and writing about the arts.