"Politically Incorrect" Star to Help Smith Students Use Humor And Dialogue To Probe Often-Difficult Issues

Stand-up comic-turned-talk-show-host Bill Maher, star of ABC's late-night show "Politically Incorrect," will bring his distinctive brand of "spontaneous opinionizing" to Smith College, in a performance combining comedy, discussion and question-and-answer. Student panelists will join Maher in staging a mock version of "Politically Incorrect," using the show's trademark pairing of unlikely discussants. Topics of discussion will include race relations, multiculturalism and campus diversity.

The performance, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 8 p.m., Friday, March 31, at John M. Greene Hall.

Rated the best talk show on television by TV Guide, "Politically Incorrect" has been nominated for several Emmy awards and has won four Cable Ace Awards for best entertainment host and best talk show. The show's casting/booking process has brought together such disparate pairs as Jerry Seinfeld and Ed Rollins, as well as Harvey Fierstein and G. Gordon Liddy, making Maher's role as much that of mediator as host.

Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Maher began his comedy career after graduating from Cornell University as an English major. He honed his skills in the New York club scene during the early 1980s, later publishing a comic novel-"True Story"-based on his experiences. He has appeared on the Tonight Show and David Letterman show and in sitcoms, movies and HBO specials.

Maher's visit to Smith is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Student Government Association and the Fine Arts Council.

March 23, 2000