The Last Laugh: 81-Year Old Man Tries His Hand At Stand-Up Comedy


Trained as a chemist but working as an executive recruiter, Art Schill decided he wanted to try his hand at stand-up comedy — at the age of 81.

And it turns out, he’s really good at it. Less than a year after taking comedy classes near his home in Long Island, New York, Art has played a range of top comedy clubs including Carolines, Dangerfields, Mohegan Sun and the Broadway Comedy Club. In a way, he’s the newest and oldest thing on the East Coast’s comedy circuit.

We interview Art, his daughter Lisa and his comedy mentor Paul Anthony who shared, “Art is really, really talented. None of us can believe he just started doing this in his 80s.” Paul quipped, “Sometimes he comes to me to say, ‘Why can’t I go on last?’ I say, ‘Art, you’re 82. I got to get you on stage as fast as possible. I don’t know how much longer we have here.”

DOWNLOAD EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

WATCH ART’S ACT ON YOUTUBE

Special thanks to Daniel Bubbeo, Assistant News Editor at Newsday, for connecting us with Art.

6 thoughts on “The Last Laugh: 81-Year Old Man Tries His Hand At Stand-Up Comedy

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  2. James Alto Reply

    saw your show last night at Babylon. I was the one that brought you the soda. You told me that you was going to perform sometime around veterans day. I like to known when and where

  3. Art Schill Reply

    I will be at the Blue Goose restaurant in Patchogue 7/6, The Villain Theater in Miami 7/11 and 7/13, the Black Box Comedy Club in Boca 7/12. the Islip Library 7/15, the Brokerage in Bellmore, LI 7/18. the Gateway in Ronkonkoma 7/19, the Stony Brook Vets Home 7/27 at 2:00pm and in Westhampton rhat evening.

  4. Judy Reply

    How wonderful, Art. Wish I could do this also. Had too much trouble hearing your show. I love to make people laugh also. I am 83 and I think I am funny, but have never tried stand up. I live in a suburb of Los Angeles. Do you ever come out to California? I would love to meet you.

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