Colin Quinn: The Last Best Hope plays a limited engagement at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Tickets are available now.
Quinn is known for skewering both sides of the political spectrum. He’s also a writer whose latest book, Overstated: A Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States, is out from Macmillan publishing. The SNL alum has made it his mission to reclaim the art of one-man stand-up with his current touring show, which is an expansion of his 2020 HBO Max special Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show.
Shot in a repurposed drive-in theater during the Covid-19 pandemic, that special was part standup showcase, part documentary and a time capsule of New York comedy community staples at work in a challenging time. It followed his off-Broadway shows Long Story Short, which traced all human history in a caustic 45-minute set, and The New York Story, directed by Jerry Seinfeld.
Asked what distinguishes his comedy from the likes of Richard Pryor and George Carlin, Quinn points to his ability to make people feel uncomfortable in a safe space. He’s also fascinated by pondering personality through comedy, and he thinks that young comedians today are working more observations about family dynamics, behavioral phenomena on the street and other relationships into their acts. Nevertheless, he insists that it’s important for comedians to be funny first. They can always get a little more serious later, he says. That’s what makes him so happy about the new show, The Last Best Hope.
