Comedy Central Presents: Retta

Retta brings a high-spirited, blunt frustration to the stage in this half-hour set, years before she became known as Donna Meagle on Parks and Recreation. The performance thrives on her ability to escalate minor daily annoyances into full-blown declarations of disbelief. She relies on structured, highly theatrical anecdotes about navigating the minor indignities of public life.\n\nFilmed at the Hudson Theatre in New York City and aired in February 2004, the special catches Retta at a transitional point in her career. She had already abandoned a post-college career as a chemist to grind on the club circuit, and here she shows off the polished delivery that made her a touring favorite.\n\nThe strongest bits of the set deal with the sheer absurdity of everyday interactions. She recounts the aggressively hostile customer service at a local McDonald’s over a simple request for extra pickles, and wonders why hotel chains think a microscopic bar of soap is sufficient for an adult. Other highlights include her take on the exhausting habits of a dramatic friend who feeds human food to a pet bird, why babysitting is the absolute best form of birth control, and a breakdown of the sexual stamina of lions.