(photo courtesy of artist)

Academy award winning and Grammy nominated comedian, Steven Wright will perform McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square on Friday, Oct 9.

You may know Wright as a consulting producer for the FX series, “Louie.” Wright’s first CD, “I Have a Pony,” earned him a Grammy nomination and was later repackaged with a DVD from his first HBO special. On June 15, 2013, Wright received The Johnny Carson Comedy Legend Award, awarded to prominent comedians influenced by Carson.

In a recent interview with Niner Times, Wright discusses his current projects and iconic deadpan delivery –humor presented without a change in emotion or body language.

You’re known for your deadpan style of comedy, how do you prep material for your shows? 

Well, my show is like a painting that’s never finished. I have the show that I know I’m going to do, then I have a window during the show when I try out new material during the actual show. What works I keep, if it doesn’t I throw it away. The show slowly changes like a painting…I prepare by memorizing what I’m going to do.

What things do you look to include in your comedy sets?

I never talk about anything current, there’s nothing I talk about that’s in the news or politics or anything. It’s all like shadows and the speed of light..women, things that are always there. You know jokes just flow into my head about many different subjects. Occasionally they come into my head, I write them down, then I look at the best ones. If I write it down, I think it’s funny, otherwise I wouldn’t write it down. I choose some of the ones I think are the best and then I try them in the show

Meeting Johnny Carson and appearing on “The Tonight Show,” was the your biggest dream come true. Decades of comedy, awards and a Grammy nom later, what is your biggest dream as a more accomplished entertainer?

It would be to keep creating, to keep doing what I’m doing. I love writing, I love performing and I want to work on more film stuff. I have a film idea that I’ve been working on with a friend of mine and I’d like to do more film and work with Louis CK more. I’ve been working on his show the last couple of seasons and it’s been a great opportunity. The show was nominated for an Emmy, so now I’m nominated for an Emmy, but I still have to say going on “The Tonight Show” that first time is still the highlight of my whole career and one of the highlights of my whole life. I wanted to go on there since I was 16 years old and then I went on when I was 26, so it’s still the biggest thing in my career.

What film genre would like to work with?

Surreal and funny.

Tell me a bit about your work on “Louie.

We talk about the script, he’ll send me the story and we talk about what could be in the episode. I basically give him my opinion on three different phases on of the show, the script; then I go to the shooting, we discuss how it’s being shot and whether it’s funny or not; then he edits a version of it and sends me a version of the episode, I give him my opinion on what I think works and what doesn’t work. He’s a genius, he writes it, he directs it, he acts in it, he edits it himself and he does standup. It’s just incredible. Standup is such an alone thing. Like what I do…I do it all myself, I don’t discuss it with anybody. That’s fine, that’s just how it is. So to discuss all these elements of comedy with him…is a great joy for me. It’s different for me to discuss things with other people about a show that he has. It’s like he has a band and he lets me sit in with the band!

Be sure to see Steven Wright when he comes to Charlotte Friday, Oct 9 at McGlohon Theatre. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. Visit www.BlumenthalArts.org for ticket information.