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CONTINUING... Brill, who joins longtime Boston pals Denis Leary and Lenny Clarke tomorrow night at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, saw smart comedy firsthand as a student at Emerson College from 1976 to 1980. It was there that Brill first overheard Leary, a year ahead of him at Emerson, talking about a comedy troupe he was in. Brill followed Leary, joined a group, and found success quickly. By the time he was a sophomore, Brill, along with fellow students, was able to meet with "All in the Family" producer Norman Lear to talk about their comedy group. "He really loved the idea and donated money to the school after my conversation with him," Brill says. "The school matched it, and they formed the first comedy writing department in the country. And from then on, people started coming to Emerson because of that whole thing. So we kind of were the pioneers in the comedy writing department." The members of the group eventually made their way into Boston's blossoming comedy scene, where they were introduced to stand-up by comedians such as Steve Sweeney, Don Gavin, and Clarke. CONTINUED... |
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