Prescott Tolk, who headlines this week’s Comedy At The Mette, may have been born to be a comedian. A graduate of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism who was named after a television detective, Tolk excels at the sharply tuned, hilarious life observation. Tolk is a member of the critically acclaimed Chicago Underground Comedy troupe and has appeared at clubs and colleges nationwide and on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend. Tolk answered a few questions about his life as comedian, his unique name and what he likes about performing in Wilmette.

Q: What are the pluses of the Chicago comedy scene over New York or L.A.?
A: I prefer Chicago.  Chicago has such a wide variety of comedy styles that it allows you to experiment and see what other people can do with the term ‘comedy’.

Q: What do you like best about performing in Wilmette??
A: The Wilmette audiences are sophisticated audiences who appreciate the urbane humor the city offers. They have a cultivated sense of what’s funny.? 

Q: How did you get into comedy??
A: I got into comedy as a fan. When people were listening to Pearl Jam on their Walkman®, I was listening to Richard Pryor albums.

Q: ??Who are your favorite comedians??
A: Woody Allen, Steve Martin, and Richard Pryor. They cover the spectrum of stand-up comedy at its best.  As for comedians working today, I’m a huge fan of Todd Barry, Louis C.K. and Dave Attell.

Q: Has your comedy changed since you started??
A: Absolutely. I started out with an insecure Woody Allen-ish persona and grew into one that mixes a playful confidence with a charming grumpiness. Hopefully, charming.

Q: How do you come up with your material? 
A: ?My material is my life with punch lines. Things happen, and then I tweak them verbally to make them funny.

Q: You are outstanding at ad libbing and asking audience members questions and riffing on their answers. How do you do it?  ?
A: As with everything, it comes from doing it enough. When you’re comfortable with your material, you can loosen up and have a conversation with your audience.
Q: How did being Jewish influence your comedy??
A: My father was always introducing me to old-time comedians and then telling me they’re Jewish. I watched the Marx brothers with my dad when I was 12, and I fell in love with Groucho Marx. Then I got into Woody Allen. I got into Jack Benny and George Burns, Don Rickles — and from that you start to identify as a Jewish person with these famous funny Jewish people. It literally gave me Jewish pride to see so many Jewish comedians.

Q: Tell me about your name.
A: ?My parents lived in England for a year, where my dad went to school to get a masters in textiles. There was a show, like a Columbo, where the lead character was Detective Prescott. Of course, that was his surname, not his first name. This was 1973. What was on at 2 o’clock was on also at 4 o’clock and 7 o’clock and 10 o’clock. There were three channels, so they saw the show constantly and they liked the name.  Four years later when they had me in ’77, they wanted to use that name.

Q: Any other unexpected facts to share about you??
A: I have a penchant for rocking out in my car to gritty female vocalists like Janis Joplin, Joan Jett and Pat Benatar. As a result, I often find myself turning down the volume at red lights.

The Wilmette Theatre’s new series, Comedy At The Mette, presents Prescott Tolk on Saturday, June 12 at 9:45 p.m. The show is hosted by Chad Briggs and features Adam Burke. All tickets are $12. For more information or for tickets, call 847-251-7424.

—By Teme Ring, citizen contributor