Dave Chappelle Storms Off Stage During Show

Dave Chappelle put an end to his comedy routine at Funny or Die's Oddball Comedy Curiosity Festival in Hartford, Conn., on Thursday, walking off the stage when hecklers couldn’t be quieted.

Chappelle had only gotten off a few jokes before he decided to end his headlining performance. Amidst the booing and shouting, the comic stopped and took a seat on the stage and lit up a cigarette, reported WTNH. Sitting on a stool, he made a few snarky comments about his reception and answered back to the hecklers. When the jeers didn’t die down, he took his leave – after he had met his contractual obligation for minutes on stage.

During Chappelle’s first ten or so minutes, the show seemed to be on course to not disappoint. However, whenever a rogue audience member took to taunting the comedian, he became distracted, reported the Hartford Courant. Chappelle paused every time he heard something negative to admonish the crowd for not being fun.

"There were a lot of lulls,” said Courant reporter Julie Stagis, adding that Chappelle said "something funny about how he'd hop a plane to South Africa in the morning like he did when he quit Chappelle's Show. Then he started lecturing the audience, insulting everybody rather than just the hecklers. It was like when your teacher says 'I'll wait' and sits there, waiting for the class to be quiet."

In 2005, Chappelle walked away from the third season of Chappelle’s Show, despite a lucrative deal and the promise of continued success on Comedy Central. He flew off to South Africa and cited the show’s changed direction as the reason he no longer wanted to make it.

The Oddball Comedy Curiosity outdoor festival, which runs through till Sept. 20, features performances by Flight of the Conchords, Demetri Martin, Kristen Schall,John Mulaney, Hannibal Buress and Daily Show Correspondent Al Madrigal.

– Chelsea Regan

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