Wednesday, February 15, 2023

RIP


 Those of us that worked the Store know what a sad loss this is. For literally decades this man Robert William Abrevaya, in his green jacket, would close the Monday show at 2am. He was clearly schizophrenic or very high on the autism spectrum. His act was word for word the same every time and delivered with this high speed maniacal urgency. Audiences didn't know what to make of him. Was this a character? Some comics would bully him, chase him around the store. He would call them nazis and run in circles. When they announced him he would hop on stage and every comedian would line the back wall and watch him. Almost everyone knew his act by heart and they would all chant it with him. It was a spectacle to be sure, but also heartbreaking. Many years ago he was a genuine comic with an act and ambition, it was rumored he was once a lawyer, but something tragic happened. Who knows what. What was left of a man was what went on every Monday night. I often wondered if that could be me or any of us if the dream didn't work out and Hollywood broke you but you kept oddly pursuing on autopilot. When I die I doubt the Store will put my name lit up on the sign. Robert got his up there, in a way he achieved his legend.