the comic's comic

W. Kamau Bell returns to NYC for another round of "Ending Racism in About in Hour"

Comedian W. Kamau Bell has been using PowerPoint presentations and brutally honest, cutting satire to show Americans for the past three years how we're racist now, and what we can do to end it in, oh, about an hour, with his one-man show, "The W. Kamau Bell Curve." Bell brings the ever-changing show back to New York City this month for five performances at terraNOVA Collective's 7th Annual soloNOVA Arts Festival, on May 11, 14, 16, 20 and 22, at Performance Space 122, 150 First Ave., in the East Village.

How has the show evolved over the past three years? Let Bell himself explain, as he sat down with me for a chat in Portland, Ore., during last month's Bridgetown Comedy Festival. Roll the clip!

And for an even more accessible version of W. Kamau Bell's stand-up comedy, pick up a copy of his new Rooftop Comedy CD, Face Full of Flour, recorded in November 2009 at the Punch Line in San Francisco:

Looking for comedy shows at the FringeNYC?

Edinboro (or Edinburgh) might get all of the attention in Scotland each August for staging the largest fringe comedy festival in the world, which is just one reason why FringeNYC (the New York International Fringe Festival) tends to get overlooked (as I write this, the fest already is a week old!). But there are plenty of new, visiting and popular shows being staged each August in New York City, in case you want to check one of them out between now and Aug. 30. Times, dates and locations vary. Here are the shows that are listed under the Improv/Sketch/Stand-Up banner:

A Fine Line

America's Next Top Bottom: Cycle 5!

Be A Man!!!

Dominizuelan Presents: People in the City

Hot Air Buffoons

Jen & Angie

The Meaning of Wife

That doesn't necessarily cover all of them, however, because some comedians have their shows slated under solo. Such as W. Kamau Bell's "The W. Kamau Bell Curve" and Paul Thomas' "Comedogenic." Bell has come in from the San Francisco Bay Area, while Thomas is based in Chicago.

Here is a promo for Bell's Curve show:

This clip isn't from "Comedogenic" but is a fine diversion for a Friday, isn't it?

Trial by Fire: The Making of a Chicago Stand-up from Paul Thomas on Vimeo.