Poundstone to Play Bay Street in Sag Harbor

[caption id="attachment_37747" align="alignnone" width="480"] Paula Poundstone[/caption]

Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor will bring comedian and longtime contributor to the theater’s Comedy Club, Paula Poundstone, to the main stage on Saturday, May 23 at 8 p.m.

Ms. Poundstone, a high school drop out who went on to become one of the most celebrated humorists of out time, is a regular performer on the stand-up comedy scene, as well as a panelist on NPR’s lively weekly news quiz show, “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me.” In the 1990s, she was the first woman to win the cable ACE for Best Standup Comedy Special, and was also the first female to perform standup at the White House Correspondents dinner. Ms. Poundstone has also starred in numerous comedy specials on HBO and Bravo, and has been voted into the Comedy Hall of Fame. She is also a published author, avid reader and the national spokesperson for United for Libraries, a citizen support group that raises awareness about the need to fund and support local libraries.

The comic says the ability to have fun with her audience, making each show a unique experience, is something she strives for.

“No two shows I do are the same. It's not that I don't repeat material. I do. My shows, when they're good, and I like to think they often are, are like a cocktail party,” says Ms. Poundstone. “When you first get there, you talk about how badly you got lost and how hard it was to find parking. Then you tell a story about your kids or what you just saw on the news. You meet some new people and ask them about themselves.  Then, someone says, ‘Tell that story you used to tell,’ and then someone on the other side of the room spills a drink, and you mock them.  No one ever applauds me when I leave a party, though. I think they high five.”

Paula Poundstone will perform as a part of the Comedy Club at Bay Street Theater, 1 Bay Street in Sag Harbor. Tickets are $62 for members; $69 for non members. For more information, visit baystreet.org or call the box office at (631) 725-9500.