Bill Santiago

Years ago, before most people knew who Barack Obama was, Bill Santiago thought about the possibility of a black president. "If you're asking how far this country is from true social equality," he said, "I would have to say at least 43 black presidents in a row away from that point. People don't realize how long that could take. You could get to 41, a white guy gets in, and you have to start all over." He's still not sure if Obama counts. "He's only half black," Santiago notes. "We still don't know if we can get a three-quarters black guy into the White House. That would be another milestone." He adds, "Bill Clinton was the first black president and he was all white, so we need the next step up from this one." Onstage, Santiago isn't quite as political as he used to be. He'd rather talk about one of his many obsessions, like his new Mac laptop. "I'm fascinated with the way I was sold into the cult gladly, and everything that's involved. The store here in New York City is this glass edifice. It's like a cathedral. It's hard to get people into a church, but this place, there's such a religious aspect to it. 'We solve your problem the way a priest never could.'" 18+.
Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 10:30 p.m. Starts: June 23. Continues through June 27, 2009