Success in the world of arts and entertainment is entirely predicated on talent and hard work.

WAIT! No it’s not!

That’s why standup comic Todd Barry isn’t filling arenas. The dude IS, after all, funny as hell and very smart. And there’s that world-weary, “I’m painfully amused and now you will be, too” persona.

If there’s good news about his unjust treatment, it’s that we can see Barry at a reasonable cost. He’s out on his “Half Joking Tour” — where the performance is split between prepared material and impromptu banter with the audience — and appears Saturday in Westerly at the United Theatre. His latest special, “Domestic Shorthair,” came out last year.

Oh, and pick up a copy of Barry’s book “Thank You for Coming to Hattiesburg,” a collection of travel essays written around the theme that, well, Barry is mired at a mid-level status regardless of his genius.

Todd Barry, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, United Theatre, 5 Canal St., Westerly; $25; unitedtheatre.org.