The Old Man in the Pool

Larry is joined by writer, director, and stand-up comedian Mike Birbiglia to talk about his new one-man show ‘The Old Man and the Pool,’ and they start their conversation by examining Mike’s extremely honest storytelling style and how it’s applied in theatre vs. comedy club settings. Next, they dive deep into the magic of the “inevitable non sequitur” in comedic storytelling and dissect the building blocks of a great joke (6:35). Mike then shares the journey that led him into the world of stand-up and how he navigates the inclusion of real-life family anecdotes within his material (11:15). After the break, Mike details his struggles with both cancer and a rare sleep disorder and talks about the effect they’ve had on his life view and career (33:10). They end the pod by offering aspiring comics tips on relatability and break down the importance of the zen state of mind for a successful performance (45:00).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Mike Birbiglia

Producers: Chris Sutton and Brandy LaPlante

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