Comedian Wyatt Cenac performs on Sunday at the Black Cat. Earlier this year, the New York Times ran a piece hailing The Daily Show‘s role as a talent incubator. Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Lewis Black, John Oliver, Olivia Munn, Ed Helms and Rob Corddry are just a few of the cast members who have gone on to high profile gigs.
Comedian Wyatt Cenac, who spent four years as a correspondent on the Comedy Central show, is on his way to becoming part of that distinguished company. He has already won three Emmy awards as a writer and is touring to support Wyatt Cenac: Brooklyn, a comedy special available exclusively through Netflix, a sign of his growing draw on the comedy circuit. One might think that Cenac’s Sunday night show at the Black Cat might be his reason for coming down to the District this weekend, but he has ulterior motives.
“The thing that keeps bringing me down there is that there’s a Shake Shack in the train station,” Cenac joked during a phone interview with DCist. “I feel the amount of time I wait in line in New York is probably on par with the time it takes to take a train down to D.C.”
Cenac’s Netflix special has garnered strong notices in the the month since its release. Not only is it solid for laughs, but it also has a visual approach with animated elements that sets it apart from your average stand-up special.
“Watching a stand-up special on TV or computer, it’s a few generations away from the best version of it,” Cenac explained. “The best version is obviously being at the show, seeing it live and being part of the experience. The second best way is by listening to it. I wanted to add something that would raise the medium to the other two.”
Not only does the presentation elevate the viewer experience, Cenac believes that Netflix, as a platform, has the potential to elevate comedy as a whole. Arguing that stand-up doesn’t get its deserved respect in the pantheon of entertainment, the broad number of outlets now available gives the comedian more creative options.
Wyatt Cenac: Brooklyn was recorded in January, and Cenac has been spending the past several months developing new material. In fact, it’s quite possible that Sunday’s audience will not hear any bits from the special. He also feels as though his comedy is moving in different directions of late. His new jokes have more to do with how Cenac sees the world, as opposed to the more personal focus he has had in the past.
“At some point, it feels like you’re making a stew. You’ve got certain ingredients that are cooking longer and there are some you just added, and you taste it say it’s coming along good,” Cenac said.
Wyatt Cenac performs on Sunday, November 23 at the Black Cat. 7 p.m. doors. Tickets $20.
