The Paramount was fortunate to have comedian George Carlin take to the stage in 2007. Not only did the audience have a good time, but Mr. Carlin also asked The Paramount’s Production Manager, Robert Benjamin, to stand in the dressing room for a bit while he tested some new jokes…

“He was trying out some new material that was going to be used for an HBO special,” Robert shared. “He had pages and pages of notes for jokes that he was writing, and he brought me into his dressing room as he was making some adjustments. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I was trained as an actor and a theatrical lighting designer…yet nothing has ever prepared me to be in this kind of position.’ It was very surreal, and I don’t think I could even process the situation enough to provide any constructive criticism (and who am I to have given George Carlin any comedic advice?), but still he asked and thanked me for my time. After also telling the audience he was working on a new HBO show, he did most of his show from the notes he had written on those pieces of paper. That HBO special was filmed just a few months before he passed away in 2008.”

We are grateful not only to have hosted Mr. Carlin, but also to have witnessed a bit of the magic behind how he wrote his jokes and put a show together.

We are diligently working to reschedule many of our events that have been interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These events contribute significantly toward our yearly operating budget, and we know that we will suffer a devastating loss of revenue as a local nonprofit theater. Please consider making a donation to The Paramount.

Photo by Rob Garland Photographers