Neal Brennan has outdone himself once more: after his remarkable, unconventional 2017 standup special 3 Mics made waves, his new show Unacceptable, which premiered at New York City’s Cherry Lane Theater in August and has been extended through November, may just be his best yet.
The Chappelle’s Show co-creator has lived a lifetime of experience in the industry, and only in the last 10 years has he begun to take even more ownership of his intelligent and hilarious talent as a standup comic.
But at the heart of Brennan’s shows are a quest to understand the self: his unique upbringing and ensuing struggles throughout his life have led him to this point, and through comedy and storytelling, he has a chance to find clarity and relief. “I’m sort of rude to myself,” Brennan says in regards to the origin of his new show. “I find myself unacceptable. Society finds me unacceptable. But maybe I’m… maybe I’m not unacceptable?”
Through his humorous examinations of the world and society, Brennan finds himself at odds — but when chatting with Brennan the morning after yet another sold-out show, he’s in bright spirits, summarizing his quarantine experience and discussing his favorite music (believe it or not, Neal is a big fan of EDM). Brennan also chats about his experience with ayahuasca and his spirituality, his journey as a writer, and his feelings about Bo Burnham’s Inside.
Check out the full conversation with Neal Brennan via the video above.
