Many believe that Lenny Bruce was The Godfather of Comedy, who influenced such greats as Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Sarah Silverman, and Bill Maher to name just a few. What drew me to him on a personal level is that Lenny died for the very freedom of speech that so many are still struggling with today.
During the 1960s, Lenny Bruce exposed many of the “untouchable” subjects that are in the news again now: religion, racism, immigration, xenophobia, gender inequality, sexual identity, the criminal justice system, capital punishment, bail reform, government aid, police brutality, corrupt capitalism, the opiate epidemic, marijuana legalization, censorship, and on and on. Over 50 years later, all of the issues Lenny was fighting for are still so relevant. In many ways, we’ve progressed since Lenny was with us, and in many, we have regressed.
Event Venue
Eastern Illinois University, 9th Street at Garfield Ave., Charleston, IL 61920, Charleston, IL, United States, Illinois 61920
Tickets