On May 1, 1959, after working clubs and opening for acts such as Eartha Kitt and Mort Sahl, legendary comedy duo Elaine May and Mike Nichols made their headlining theater debut at Town Hall. Nichols and May performed their witty skits and improvisational dialogues to rave reviews and two sold-out audiences. Within a few years, they were television regulars with best-selling comedy albums and a hit show at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway. In a conversation with May decades later, Nichols noted: "The best show we did was in Town Hall.” Join Mark Harris, author of Mike Nichols: A Life, in a discussion about Nichols and May, their live act and Nichol’s stage career.

Mark Harris is the author of Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood, which was a New York Times notable book of the year, and Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War. He is currently a writer for New York, where he often covers the intersection of culture and politics. A graduate of Yale University, Harris lives in New York City with his husband, Tony Kushner.

The Town Hall Laughs: A Series about the History of Comedy at The Town Hall

Over the course of the last century, The Town Hall has been home to groundbreaking live events that have cemented the hall as a historical landmark. The Town Hall’s legacy as a comedy venue is buried under the legacy of America’s Town Meeting of the Air and the hall’s historic concerts such as the debuts of Isaac Stern and Nina Simone. During this special July series, Century of Story and Song will celebrate four important events in the hall’s comedy history. Join The Town Hall this July to learn about Redd Foxx, Will Rogers, Dick Gregory and Nichols and May.