Jane Curtin is a comedy icon. Her career has spanned five decades across television, film, and stage. Curtin is making her highly anticipated return to Great Barrington on Saturday, December 14, headlining Selected Shorts: Holiday Tales at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. Joining her are Joanna Gleason, Michel Gill, and Bhavesh Patel, promising audiences a heartwarming night filled with laughter, poignant stories, and holiday cheer. As one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live, Curtin brought her sharp wit and impeccable timing to sketch comedy, forever cementing her place in the annals of TV history. She went on to win back-to-back Emmy® Awards for her role in the beloved sitcom Kate & Allie, and she further showcased her range as the uptight (but lovable) Dr. Mary Albright on the hit series 3rd Rock from the Sun. In addition to her work on television, Curtin has performed on Broadway (Candida, Love Letters, Noises Off) and has appeared in numerous films, including Coneheads; I Love You, Man; and The Spy Who Dumped Me. Curtin spoke with me about her career, the upcoming Selected Shorts performance, and her reflections on her lifelong journey in comedy.
We’re thrilled that you’re coming back to the Berkshires for Selected Shorts: Holiday Tales at the Mahaiwe. Before we discuss Selected Shorts, let’s talk about your early days BEFORE Saturday Night Live (SNL). For most people, your career began with SNL, but how did it actually start? I started in improv. A friend from summer stock, who was in Cambridge at the time, called me and said, “Would you come with me to an audition?” It was for an improv group called The Proposition. I thought, Okay, I’ll come. It might be fun. And they hired me! For the first three or four months, I didn’t speak on stage—I was just listening, trying to figure out what was going on. I learned by being on stage with people who knew what they were doing, and I loved it. It was so exciting, relying on your wits. Then they opened in New York, and I was part of that company. So, suddenly, I was part of the New York acting scene, and that was really fun. I did commercials, I did theater, I toured with George Gobel in Last of the Red Hot Lovers. I was introduced to all these different parts of the business, and I loved every single one of them. Then I got to audition for Saturday Night Live.
SNL is in its 50th season. When you look back at those first few seasons, what comes to mind? Was it fun? Crazy? The first year? I don’t remember much. I was learning—I didn’t know what was going on. We had done political satire in improv, but we didn’t do it initially on SNL. There was a lot of trial and error. I remember one show where I had nothing to do except the goodnights because everything I had was cut. Jill Clayburgh was hosting, and they insisted I wear a wedding dress in the goodnights, just so I could get paid. But things got better as the years went on.
You often played the straight woman to wilder, crazier comedians. How do you feel about that? It’s an important role, and it’s one I relish. It’s a role I play very well. Bonnie Turner from SNL, The Coneheads, and Third Rock explained that I’m a backboard—a strong comedic partner can bounce off me. Without that role, there’s no reason for conflict. I love doing that.
After SNL, you revisited "The Coneheads" in 1993 for the film. If you were to guest-anchor on "Weekend Update" today, would you enjoy it? Oh, I would love it! I did it on the 40th Anniversary show with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. We did "Update" together, and Melissa McCarthy came crashing through at one point. It was great to relive it.
You’ve had so many iconic characters. What catchphrase do fans ask you to say the most? Nobody has ever asked me to say anything, but people regularly feel the need to say to me, “Jane, you ignorant slut.” I don’t know why, but it’s within them. They express it, and I go, “Hmm,” and move on. One time, I was on location for a movie in Seattle, and I heard kids’ voices outside my trailer. When I opened the door, they giggled and said, “Jane, you ignorant slug!” That was the only time I enjoyed it.
I always think of The Coneheads' phrase, “We come from France!” But it’s interesting that people still remember the “ignorant slut” line. Do you think that line would play today on "Weekend Update"? Is it funny now—and was it funny then? I found humor in the shockingness of it. It was meant to be shocking, and it worked. It was a take on the pompousness of "Update." The words were meant to have an impact, and they did.
You’ve had three generations of iconic roles—SNL, Kate & Allie, and Third Rock from the Sun. What was it like being part of these shows that spanned different periods? Kate & Allie was the perfect antidote to SNL. On SNL, people saw me as incredibly cool. I would walk down the street and people avoided me, but I didn’t want to live my life that way. I wanted people to see me as accessible. Allie was extremely accessible—a perfectly flawed character who grew into her own person. My interactions with people in the city changed dramatically after Kate & Allie—they wanted to protect me, and they wanted to protect Allie.
In fact, when we were doing Kate & Allie, a lot of older men watched our show, which I thought was very interesting. The director, Billy Persky, explained it to us. He said, “If they have daughters, the show lets them know that their daughters are going to be okay. Two women, divorcees, their lives not ruined. They got together and had this wonderful, adventurous life, and they were happy.” Older men felt very comfortable watching our show—it made them feel better.
And with Third Rock, did people’s perception of you change again? No, by then, I was established as someone who would talk to you. I was “okay.” I wasn’t scary.
Let’s talk about your ties to the Berkshires. You’re originally from Massachusetts—did you visit the Berkshires as a kid? We lived closer to Boston, so we went to the Cape. It wasn’t until I was doing The Proposition that I started venturing past Framingham. We did bookings out in Lenox, so I got to see what the Berkshires were all about, just driving around to different gigs.
Have you had the chance to come back and perform here? You’ve done Selected Shorts in North Adams and at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, correct? I think I’ve been at the Mahaiwe a couple of times before, maybe three. I’ve done Selected Shorts up in North Adams. It’s a movable feast!
How did you get involved with Selected Shorts? I got a phone call from Isaiah Sheffer, and he asked if I’d be interested in reading a short story at Symphony Space. I said, “You can read a story in front of an audience? Get out!” My first reading may have been Saint George and the Dragon, but I’m not sure. I just thought, “This is the best idea in the world.” It’s so much fun for an actor, and the audience has a wonderful time. Everybody wins—the audience, the writers, and the actors.
Do you get to choose the stories you read? They always pick the stories for me. I’ve had maybe two I didn’t really like, but that’s it. They’ve always suited me or challenged me in some way. That’s what’s so exciting about it—you recreate the story on stage without really rehearsing. It’s wonderful.
Are there any funny stories or moments from Selected Shorts performances or road trips
that you remember fondly? We went to Philadelphia, and Isaiah was very excited—it was our first road trip. He decided we’d take a stretch limousine, so we met outside Symphony Space and rode to Philadelphia, having the time of our lives. At that same show, someone put one of those beach chaise lounges in front of the stage. A man in an electric wheelchair came in, got out, laid on the chaise, and listened to the stories. At the end, he got back in his chair and left. It was fabulous!
What’s next for you? Are you still excited to work as an actress? I love to work. I’m a working actress, and I’m so proud to be one at my age. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do. I don’t want to write a book or tell people what to do—I just want to act.
Final question: A lot of comedians are insecure—and they don’t think of themselves as “funny.” Do you think you’re funny? I do, yeah. I have a wonderful sense of humor, and it comes from being comfortable with myself. I grew up in a family of funny women. We’d be cooking in the same room, not necessarily looking at each other, and we’d all laugh at the same time. It’s in us. It needs to come out. I can be serious, but I’d rather be funny. It’s easier, friendlier, and I can get my point across pretty well by being funny.
— Dr. Joshua Sherman