Les McCurdy was in his 30s when he began chasing a career in comedy. He was soon headlining around the country, but in 1988, he and his wife Pam, an FSU/Asolo Conservatory grad, decided to start a club in Sarasota. They started out in a hotel banquet room, then moved to an old theater on the North Trail. Last year they made the leap into a spacious downtown building that includes a bar and kitchen. An “A” club with a national reputation, McCurdy’s now presents more than 400 shows a year, from charity events to big-name comics. The ever-enthusiastic McCurdy says he’s “excited that at 60, when many people are slowing down,” he’s in full creative mode, planning new projects from corporate seminars to an Internet comedy channel. Les McCurdy started a totally unique program in 2005 called Special O'Laughics. He created a workshop that teaches mentally challenged adults the art of stand-up and sketch comedy. The program is the only one of its kind in the world and has been the subject of a PBS Special and the largest article of its kind featured in The St. Petersburg Times. It is chronicled in a documentary film produced by Les and Ken and featured in a TED Talk presented by Les McCurdy