Patrice Oneal performs at Bananas this weekend

Thursday, November 12, 2009
Last updated: Thursday November 12, 2009
BY ED CONDRAN
The Record

Veteran stand-up comic Patrice Oneal used to joke about trivial material, everything from sports to the art of delivering a panini sandwich.

However, Oneal has broadened his horizons in recent years. As a result, he?s now making light of heavy topics.

"I?ve really gotten into possible conspiracies and reading about the New World Order," said Oneal. "It?s wild getting to know about whether the government has an agenda to mess with the populace or about how banking works."

Oneal acknowledges that he is walking on challenging terrain.

"It?s not the easiest stuff to be funny about but I make it work," he said during a telephone interview from his Jersey City apartment. "So I talk about the economy and health care and just lay it all out there. Those topics scare people but they shouldn?t. Like I say, if you don?t have any money, the economy shouldn?t scare you at all. It has nothing to do with you."

Oneal, 39, will still throw in some pop culture stories and render his views on how society has changed since he was a child coming of age in Boston.

"When I was a kid, I respected and feared adults, but that?s all over with now," Oneal said. "If you have a problem with a kid, he just might pull out a gun and blow you away. Kids don?t listen to their elders. ... The world has changed a lot since I was a kid. I?m not saying it?s for the better."

While growing up in Beantown, it appeared that Oneal?s ticket out of a hardscrabble neighborhood would be sports. He earned a partial football scholarship to Boston?s Northeastern University. However, Oneal passed on the gridiron and studied drama.

"Maybe I could have been better at football, but I wasn?t passionate about it," Oneal said. "I?ve worked so hard at standup and acting. There are guys from my neighborhood [in Boston?s Roxbury section] that are 20 times funnier than me but they wouldn?t make it since they would never put in the work I put in."

Oneal?s work ethic hasn?t changed. "It?s not as if I can rest right now on what I?ve done. I have to continue trying to get to that next level. It would be great to get on television more. That would help."

Oneal has done a "One-Night Stand" on HBO, a number of Comedy Central specials, and he appeared on the late, lamented Fox series "Arrested Development."

"I have a lot to be proud of," Oneal said. "I?ve had a lot of great experiences in front of the camera, but I feel like I?ve just started this, even though I?ve been at this for [17] years. I?m getting where I need to be, and what?s so great is that I love doing it. I can?t imagine doing anything else."

WHO: Patrice Oneal.
WHAT: Comedy.
WHEN: 8 and 10:45 p.m. Friday and 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Bananas, 283 Route 17 south, Hasbrouck Heights; 201-727-1090 or bananascomedyclub.com.
how much: $20 Friday and $25 Saturday.