Saturday Night Live is one of the longest-running comedy shows on American television. Alan Zweibel, a prolific humorist, has been there from the show’s beginnings in 1975. On Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m., Zweibel, author of The Other Shulman, winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, will speak at Temple Sinai of Roslyn.
Zweibel’s talk, “Writing Comedy: From the Catskills to Broadway by Way of Television,” will focus on his journey through the comedy world of television, Broadway, movies, and books.
“I’ll talk on how I got to wherever it is I’m at now,” Zweibel told The Roslyn News. “I’ll talk about my 40 years of ups and downs in show business.”
The evening will also feature a discussion and book signing. Zweibel will speak about The Other Shulman, which was chosen as Temple Sinai’s Big Read title for this year. Books will be available for purchase.
Zweibel is a native of Brooklyn, who was raised in both Woodmere and Wantagh. His job at Saturday Night Live and numerous others has led The New York Times to say that Zweibel has “earned a place in the pantheon of American pop culture,”
In addition to The Thurber Prize, Zweibel has won multiple Emmy, Writers Guild of America, and TV Critics awards for his work in television, which also includes “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” (which he co-created and produced), “Monk,” “PBS’s Great Performances,“ and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
A frequent guest on all of the late night talk shows, Zweibel’s theatrical contributions include his collaboration with Billy Crystal on the Tony Award winning play (and Emmy nominated HBO special) 700 Sundays, Martin Short’s Broadway hit Fame Becomes Me and the off-Broadway plays Happy, Comic Dialogue, Between Cars, Pine Cone Moment and Bunny Bunny – Gilda Radner: A Sort of Romantic Comedy, which he adapted from his best-selling book.
Other books by Zweibel are the popular children’s book Our Tree Named Steve, North, a collection of short stories and essays titled Clothing Optional and the novel Lunatics that he co-wrote with Dave Barry.
Zweibel’s humor has also appeared in such publications as The New Yorker, Esquire, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Huffington Post and MAD Magazine. He has also penned two best selling e-books titled, From My Bottom Drawer: Vols. I and II. The co-writer of the screenplays for the films Dragnet, North and The Story of Us, Alan has received an honorary PhD. from the State University of New York and because of the diversity of his body or work, in 2010 the Writers Guild of America, East gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Zweibel is currently an executive producer on Showtime’s documentary series Inside Comedy starring David Steinberg and a new children’s book titled If Moses Drove A Bus. He is writing the script for a Broadway musical version of Field of Dreams.
And in addition to the late night talk shows, on the TV screen he’s also appeared in episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Law & Order.
Cost for the program is $18 for Temple Sinai members and $25 for non-members; students are welcome at no charge. The program is open to the public.
Temple Sinai of Roslyn is located at 425 Roslyn Rd. For more information, contact Ethel Liebeskind at 516-621-6800 or visit the website at www.MySinai.org.
