I always felt bad for the black audiences at that time because, the kind of comedy we were doing, white America was afraid to laugh, so they didn’t laugh until the black person laughed.
Tim Reid
and Tom Dreesen met for the first time in the tumult of Chicago in 1968. While the nation was wracked by the civil rights movement, a sexual revolution, and a controversial war, these friends took the stage as the first—and so far, only—black and white comedy team. Together they spent five years touring the country, facing unabashed racism, occasionally violent hecklers, and cheering crowds. The duo returns to the stage to tell their stories and reflect on a lifetime of unique experiences. Ron Rapoport moderates.