Actor channels Lenny Bruce during SJCC performance

As the Mercer Island crowd leapt to its feet and unleashed a standing ovation, actor Ronnie Marmo said it was a wonderful moment to be swept up in following his recent performance of “I’m Not A Comedian… I’m Lenny Bruce.”

Marmo delved into the life and times of Bruce on the afternoon of Dec. 8 at the Stroum Jewish Community Center (SJCC) and 150 attendees not only tagged along for the ride, but played a crucial role in driving the riveting one-man theatrical performance.

“The audience is my scene partner. And sometimes, you know, if they’re not participating in a way that I need, at least with their energy, then it’s hard. It feels like the show is four hours long instead of 90 minutes. And they were great. They were right with me the whole time,” Marmo said a few days later.

In the SJCC-presented event, Marmo tapped into the outspoken and critical Jewish comedy legend’s life journey, which included his decades-ago fight for freedom of speech that remains at the forefront in today’s society. According to a New York Times article: “His 1964 conviction in an obscenity trial was followed by a posthumous pardon in 2003.” He was arrested on copious obscenity charges during his career, Marmo said.

“Really what it came down to was they were threatened by him, and he was the smartest guy in the room. And I think words were the way to bust this guy,” he added about Bruce’s arrests and convictions.

Marmo steps into the actor/writer/producer roles of the production, which is directed by Joe Mantegna and has been performed nationwide and off-Broadway. The production has been running for the last seven years and Marmo notched his 452nd performance at the J.

Following the late Ed Asner’s suggestion that Marmo take the show to the Jewish Community Center in Rochester, New York, word got out after the successful performance and another in Buffalo — and soon J’s across the country wanted to book the show.

“It was wild. We’re like, ‘Lenny was proud to be Jewish,’” Marmo said. “The Jewish Community Centers ended up being this gift. You know, this wonderful gift.”

Marmo praised the Mercer Island SJCC and its crew for giving him a warm welcome on the chilly and rainy afternoon. He gave a special nod to Pamela Lavitt, director of the local J’s Arts + Ideas program, for arranging to bring the performance to the Island.

“Lenny Bruce, often called a ‘stand-up philosopher,’ used comedy to expose hypocrisy and challenge societal boundaries. His story resonates deeply in today’s climate of censorship and cancel culture, where expression and healthy debate are often stifled, particularly when those in power threaten fundamental rights,” said Lavitt, adding that the J was proud to present the Washington premiere of the play. “Our Arts + Ideas program fosters connection and inspires our community through stories and discussions that address critically important topics.”

During his 90 minutes on stage, Marmo said he’s trying to convey the truth about Bruce’s life and present his brilliance along with his flaws and vulnerabilities. Bruce was a husband and a father — and he was a fighter for First Amendment rights.

“He was more than just this, you know, a foul mouth comic that most people tried to paint him as. I just hope you really learn more about Lenny Bruce and what he contributed to our society,” said Marmo, who originally hails from Brooklyn, New York/Woodbridge, New Jersey, and currently resides in Burbank, California.

Marmo expounded on how Bruce’s fight is today’s battle as well: “Free speech is always topical, but sadly if you look at our government now and where we are, we’re in pretty bad shape. This country’s divided. Free speech is an issue. And Lenny’s voice now is needed more than ever.”

When Marmo is performing the play, he sees himself as being part of a tragedy that is laced with funny elements.

‘I’m just trying to be honest. And ultimately I’m trying to pick up where Lenny left off and try to finish something for him he didn’t get to do,” Marmo said. According to “The Trials of Lenny Bruce,” written by David Skover and Ronald Collins, Bruce died of “acute morphine poisoning caused by an overdose” on Aug. 3, 1966.

Skover, a Seattle University law professor who petitioned the governor of New York for Bruce’s posthumous pardon, joined Marmo for a post-show talkback session on Dec. 8. Skover noted that the audience asked intelligent and probing questions about Bruce during the session.

“The play’s significance today cannot be challenged. We have just witnessed a political election cycle with rampant fear-mongering. Fear is the enemy of freedom. We must not embrace the dangerous myth that America is made more secure by sacrificing American freedoms,” Skover said. “We need to dedicate ourselves to the First Amendment mission of toleration for critical, unconventional, and dissident voices. Lenny Bruce was a free speech martyr whose legacy must be honored and whose lessons must be followed today and always.”