(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)September 20, 2004

(Mahwah) – Mort Sahl, who by his own account has been disturbing” audiences for more than half a century, will bring his original wit and comic genius to the Sharp Theater on the campus of Ramapo College of New Jersey Saturday, October 23 at 8 p.m.

Since his early days in comedy, Sahl’s brand of observational humor and political satire has influenced comics from Lenny Bruce to Woody Allen and in the process helped define modern stand-up. Stand-up comedy prior to Sahl had its roots in burlesque and vaudeville and the jokes tended to revolve around how bad the comic’s wife’s cooking was. As he did when he began performing in 1953, Sahl takes to the stage wearing a V-neck sweater and toting a folded newspaper, and talks about the news. This election year provides potent material for the comedian’s wry observations.

His early monologues were like disconnected streams of consciousness in which he darted from topic to topic, dropping stories like stitches only to pick them up and weave them together, embodying a wit and intellect never before seen in American comedy. He pioneered a circuit of jazz clubs, bringing comedy into such places as Mr. Kelly’s in Chicago, the Village Gate in New York and the Crescendo in Los Angeles. Sahl was the first comedian to appear on the cover of Time, the first to record a comedy album and the first non-musician to win a Grammy.

Tickets for Mort Sahl’s performance at Ramapo College are $26 for adults, $23 for seniors and $15 for youth. The Sharp Theater is located at the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts on the Ramapo College campus. For more information call 201.684.7844. This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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