A few years ago, a man named Charlie Brill asked me if I knew who Lenny Bruce was. I said that I did, and Charlie handed me the script Lenny Bruce Is Back (and Boy Is He Pissed). Now, I realize, I didn’t really know Lenny Bruce at all.

I knew Lenny Bruce was a controversial writer, comedian and satirist who paved the way for performers such as Richard Pryor and George Carlin. Lenny was convicted on obscenity charges and spent many years in court defending his right to free speech. I also knew Lenny Bruce struggled with addiction and died of an overdose in 1966.

Our justice system treated Lenny Bruce like he was a criminal but he really wasn’t interested in overthrowing the government or killing cops. He just wanted to make people laugh. If he could make them think along the way, then that was cool. Eventually, society’s mentality caught up with him and the courts overturned the obscenity charges. Unfortunately, he was already dead.

The part I didn’t know was who Lenny was as a man. Lenny was someone who loved fiercely.  He loved his wife Honey, his daughter Kitty, his mother Sally Marr. He loved making people laugh. He loved getting high. He did everything with his whole heart and soul. Lenny had some crazy ideas about right and wrong, and people misunderstood him a lot but Lenny was an intelligent, kind and generous person. Unfortunately, his intentions were often overshadowed by his addictions.

The most interesting thing about this role is that Lenny comes back from the grave for one last performance. During this show, Lenny gets to tell his story posthumously and comments on our current society. While we imagine this is what Lenny would say and think if he had the chance, we obviously will never really know.

But I think the words we’ve given to Lenny in his afterlife are pretty darn close to what he would say if he could. In that way, I guess you could say I know Lenny better than he knew himself.

Lenny Bruce Is Back (and Boy Is He Pissed), written by Sam Bobrick and Julie Stine, directed by Bob Guza, plays Fri.-Sat., 8 pm; Sun., 6 pm; through May 16. Tickets: $20. Theatre 68, 5419 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; 323.960.5068. Visit theatre68.com or ronniemarmo.com.