''The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee'' is a memoir by actress and comedian
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer.
Silverman was a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced ''The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 to ...
, published in 2010.
Content
The first section of the book is about her family and upbringing. Silverman writes about her
wetting her bed until age 16. At age 2, she would make her father laugh by saying "fuck". Her family did not find her sense of humor offensive, and supported her style of comedy. She says that
Garry Shandling
Garry Emmanuel Shandling (November 29, 1949 – March 24, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer.
Shandling began his career writing for sitcoms, such as '' Sanford and Son'' and ''Welcome Back, Kotter''. He made ...
was her biggest influence, and how, like him, she has created a semi-fictional public persona of herself. She admits to avidly smoking cannabis. The book's (fictional) afterword is by God, writing about Silverman in the year 2063, on the occasion of her death at 93, with the epitaph "She loved dogs, New York, television, children, friendship, sex, laughing, heartbreaking songs, marijuana, farts, and cuddling."
Publicity
The book was released on April 20 2010, which is a "
day of celebration for marijuana users" as well as the birth date of
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
. Silverman produced a promotional letter exclusively for Amazon.com, wherein she compares herself ironically to
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...
and
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
, classing herself as a serious writer.
[Amazon.com: The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee (9780061856457): Sarah Silverman: Books](_blank)
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Stage adaptation
A musical version of Silverman's memoir premiered Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
in previews on April 30, 2022 and opened officially on May 23 at the Linda Gross Theatre. Anne Kauffman
Anne Kauffman is an American director known primarily for her work on new plays, mainly in the New York area. She is a founding member of the theater group the Civilians.Grode, Eric"Meet the Directors"''New York Times'', January 31, 2013
Early lif ...
directed the production, which features a cast led by Caissie Levy
Caissie Levy (born April 15, 1981) is a Canadian-American actress and singer, mainly known for her work in musical theatre on Broadway and in the West End. Her early Broadway credits included Penny Pingleton in '' Hairspray'' and Sheila in ''Hai ...
and Bebe Neuwirth
Beatrice "Bebe" Jane Neuwirth ( ; born December 31, 1958) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. On television, she played Dr. Lilith Sternin, Frasier Crane's wife, on both the TV sitcom ''Cheers'' (in a starring role) and its spin-off ''F ...
. Silverman wrote the musical's book with Joshua Harmon, with lyrics by Silverman and Adam Schlesinger
Adam Lyons Schlesinger (October 31, 1967 – April 1, 2020) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was a key songwriting contri ...
and music by Schlesinger, with additional material by David Yazbek, who stepped in after Schlesinger's death. It marks one of Schlesinger's final projects, after he died in April 2020.
References
External links
Silverman video on ''Bedwetter'', at HarperCollins video site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedwetter
Show business memoirs
Comedy books
2010 non-fiction books
HarperCollins books
Sarah Silverman