Steven Wright

by Frank Halperin

Here's a quick, surreal navigation through the looking glass of Steven Wright's mind, guided by a few of his synaptic musings: I was once walking through the forest alone and a tree fell right in front of me -- and I didn't hear it. I used to be a narrator for bad mimes. One night I stayed up all night playing poker with tarot cards I got a full house and four people died. That's a secondhand twilight-zone journey, since one must see or hear the deadpan Wright deliver these observances in person, with his unique monotone cadence punctuated by precisely timed awkward pauses. He is comedy's consummate one-liner oracle.

Wright has transcended his standup career (highlighted by his '85 Grammy-nominated LP I Have A Pony) by winning a 1999 best live-action short Oscar for The Appointments of Dennis Jennings, which he co-wrote and starred in. When I mentioned, during a recent phone conversation, that my dad was a big fan, Wright didn't miss a beat, replying that I haven't seen him in months, followed by a robust, unrestrained fit of infectious laughter.

He elaborates on a nonlinear series of milestones, including arguably his most memorable role as the voice of Super Sounds of the Seventies radio jock K-Billy in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. They needed someone for the part, remembers Wright, and my friend Sally Menke, who edited the film, suggested me to Quentin. He paused a moment and said, "Yesss! That's it!" I didn't know him -- this was before he exploded -- but Sally said to me, "Look, you should do it, this guy is going to be huge and the film is going to bust wide open." It was a lot of fun, and it feels great to have been a part of something that had such a tremendous impact. As far as his craft is concerned, Wright says simply that if something clicks, it clicks, noting that I don't like to talk about current events or the usual topics of conversation. With me, it's either the speed of light or lint!

Steven Wright, Fri., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., $29-$31, Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Oaklyn, N.J., 215-336-2000, www.ccparks.com.