Richard Pryor: Contemporary Comedic Genius

Pryor started out as the rare black comedian telling racially neutral amusing stories in the Bill Cosby mold. After attaining a level of success, Pryor became increasingly uncomfortable with the restraints he felt were placed on his material. An incident in Las Vegas in which Pryor saw the Rat Pack’s Dean Martin’s react negatively to his routine resulted in Pryor experiencing an epiphany. Admiring the comedy of Lenny Bruce who was unrestrained in his use of sexual innuendos and salty language, Pryor took up the mantle of firebrand. Onstage, he used the N-word that was prevalent in the culture in which he lived, and he spoke out about the issues facing black men in America. Not a stranger to drug usage, he had no qualms talking about it onstage, even riffing about his infamous accident in which he set himself on fire freebasing cocaine.  

Pryor appeared in 40 movies, mainly comedies, starring in four films with Gene Wilder, most notably “Silver Streak.” He co-wrote “Blazing Saddles” with Mel Brooks. His wide-ranging resume also includes 19 TV shows and 22 albums.   

Martin Marshall has taught elements of his Contemporary Comedic Genius series at twelve OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) programs across the country over the past 10 years. Numbering more than 50 courses presented, these programs cover 17 of the greatest comedic artists and groups of our lifetimes, including Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Jon Stewart, Robin Williams, and others.  

Martin is also a filmmaker, poet, actor, director, and producer. He learned his craft in the workshops of The Committee in Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as the workshop at Second City in Chicago. He founded People Theater in Los Angeles in 1970, and co-founded Improvisation, Inc., in San Francisco in 1972. Besides improvisational theater, he has also directed a production of Geezer Theater, an SF Mime-Troupe-style revue, at OLLI San Francisco. He is well known as a slam and regular poet at venues throughout the Bay Area.