Al Franken: From the Archives

According to Crimson archives, Al Franken spent a lot of his time as a Harvard undergraduate involved in the campus theatrical scene. Among his achievements were launching a cabaret in Currier House and staging an original musical about Richard Nixon. Perhaps his greatest achievement was starring as comic Lenny Bruce in the play Lenny (later made into a movie by Bob Fosse). The Dunster House production of Lenny marked the play’s first amateur performance.

Below are excerpts from the Crimson’s Lenny review, t written by Deborah A. Coleman ’73, and ran on December 9, 1972:

[...] Dunster House’s splendid production of Lenny brings back the caustic comedian to those of us who have heard we should admire him, but don’t know why.

[...]

As Lenny Bruce, Alan Franken is the nerve center of the production. Handling Lenny Bruce’s words with a sure feel for their comedy and poignancy, Franken makes it needless to debate the accuracy of his portrayal, Franken is not imitating Bruce, but he infuses the role with a vitality which recreates Lenny’s charm, wit and concern. Making the transition to convincing desperation when he is finally convicted of obscenity charges proves difficult for the ebullient actor, but he recovers his depth of characterization as Bruce’s degradation increases.

[...]

Opulent, colorful, polished, Dunster’s production of Lenny enmeshes us in the jokes, the faces, the accents. As much as it is a projection of Lenny Bruce’s mind, the show is a reflection of the world that crushed him. At the end, the hard blade gleams like the point of one of Bruce’s jokes.