Steven Banks’ “Home Entertainment Center”
When I was in college, my friend Kevin showed me a tape of this guy Steven Banks doing his one-man show. I thought it was one of the best things I’d ever seen, and when I went to Kevin’s place for his annual holiday parties I would sheepishly ask him to put it on so I could watch it again. For years, every time I’ve thought about writing a solo show I have been stopped by the daunting task I have set for myself of trying to make something at least as good as “Home Entertainment Center.”
Now, I’ve seen Billy The Mime’s amazing show. Because of my job, I’ve met him and had a number of email exchanges with him. But I swear to God, and I’m embarrassed to admit this, until tonight I had no idea that Billy the Mime was Steven Banks. It was not until friend and Harold Night teammate Lauren Hunter, herself a devoted fanatic of “Home Entertainment Center,” pointed it out to me that I realized they were the same person. I was shocked to learn that here I’d been conversing with a man I’d so admired as a performer and creator of comedy and I had no idea whatsoever.
Tonight after another terrific performance of Billy the Mime, I went back to the green room, Lauren in tow, to say hi to Steven and to tell him his show was once again great, and also to confess my love for “H.E.C.,” all the while doing my best to hold back the fanboy comedy nerd gushing in favor of a professional representative-of-the-establishment tone. He told me about the failed attempt to bring the show to New York a few years ago for an Off-Broadway run, and about another project he’s working on that he hopes to bring to NY. How did I never make the connection that someone who performed a show that was so top-shelf, running-on-all-cylinders amazing that I saw as an adult professional also created something that I was stunned by in a very similar way when I was some wide-eyed college kid? I introduced Steven to Lauren. We said some more nice things to him then left him to get out of his make-up while we let our comedy nerd flags fly outside the green room. It’s nice to find out that someone I am just getting to know shares with me an admiration of something very specific and not particularly well-known.
I came home and watched the entire “Home Entertainment Center” special spread over seven parts on YouTube (if I’d looked it up on YouTube in the past couple of years I would’ve seen a mention of Billy the Mime! Where’ve I been?!). I suggest you do the same. This is still one of the most impressive shows I’ve ever seen.
“Banks! Banks! Banks! Banks!”
3 months ago • 3 notes
