By Seth Stutman

With an abundance of insight and energy, Worcester comic Dennis Wirth is entertaining audiences all over Central MA ~ and no-one is safe from his sharp wit, as he rips everyone from George Bush to Native Americans and everyone in between.

The Gardner native and restaurant manager at the Jade II in Leominster draws from Ron White, Andrew Dice Clay, and Eddie Murphy: “I wanted to make somebody laugh as hard as they made me laugh,” Wirth said. He’s doing just that, with a style that can best be described as vigorous and loud.

Wirth’s fascination with comedy began at an early age; he realized that stand up was his dream after catching a Sam Kinison special on HBO in the early 1980s. From there, he enrolled in Introduction to Stand Up Comedy at a local college and began booking shows and forging connections.

“I wouldn’t be half as far if it wasn’t for [Jerry Caruso]; I owe so much to him,” Wirth said of the older local comic, also from Gardner, who took him under his wing. Because of the help and encouragement he received as a young comic, Wirth is eager to dole out advice to the next generation: “Don’t try to be a comedian, go up there and have fun,” he said.

One of Wirth’s most popular bits involves him describing himself as the “Child Support Superhero;” it draws the most laughs from the crowd in general, but men who come to the show with their significant others usually wait until afterwards to tell Wirth just how funny they think his observations on sex ~ and in particular his sex life, are. “A lot of guys are there with their girlfriends and they’re reserved, but they come up to me after the show and tell me how hard they wanted to laugh,” Wirth said.

“Of all of the comedians in Worcester, Wirth is one of the best,” exclaimed Shawn Hansen, host of Shawn Hansen’s Comedy Corner. Coming out of Wirth’s show at Lucky Dog, he added, “[Wirth] is worth every penny, and might just be better than Dane Cook.”

Wirth spreads the laughter all over Central MA, but does he have one club that he considers his comedic home? “I love playing at Scoreboards in Leominster; the crowd’s really into it there,” he said.

As for his future, Wirth has big dreams. “It would be great to get to the point where I could do comedy full time,” he shared. “Also, I’d like to eventually put out my CD.” But in the meantime, Wirth is satisfied with his place in entertainment: “[Comedy] taught me how to laugh at my pain. Hopefully, I can make others laugh at their pain.”

You can find out more about Dennis Wirth and where he’s playing next by visiting www.denniswirth.webs.com.