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June 29, 2012 - Mike Birbiglia at Union Hall, Park Slope, BKCredit: Evan Sung
Mike Birbiglia is a master of the monologue, a soliloquist of the stars, a ruler of rhetoric, an aristocrat of—okay, enough alliteration.
He is a stand-up comedian, one who doesn’t shy away from putting himself on the proverbial chopping block, and he is bringing his new show, “Thank God for Jokes”—which is all about “how jokes can get us in trouble, but, ultimately, make us feel closer to each other,” he says—to the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Sunday.
This 37-year-old New York transplant—he originally hails from the far reaches of the Boston suburbs—has been on the scene for years as a comedic writer and performer. While his last two major projects, “Sleepwalk with Me” and “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” have garnered him some attention, his recent acting gig as Danny Pearson on Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black” has vaulted him to subway-famous notoriety.
The rising comedian recently took time out of a busy shooting schedule to talk television, Trump, Hamptons traffic, social awkwardness and Sleepy Karl just ahead of his trip to the East End.
You’ve been doing quite a bit of television. Do you have any favorite shows, or are you strictly cable news?
Mike Birbiglia: Ha! I’m off cable news! New York Times only—less noisy. Lately, I’ve been watching “Girls,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” “John Oliver” and “Orange Is the New Black.”
How did you get involved with “Orange Is the New Black,” and what has that been like for you as a comedian?
Birbiglia: I just auditioned and I got it. It’s been so cool but also so, so, so strange now that it’s aired. Sometimes people on the subway just wave at me now. They don’t even say what they know me from. But I know.
How did you find your way to comedy in the first place?
Birbiglia: A long, long road, starting in high school. School plays, writing satire issues of my high school newspaper. My brother, Joe, got me into comedy very early, and I’m lucky enough to work with him professionally now. He co-wrote my first movie, “Sleepwalk with Me.”
Who is Sleepy Karl, and how do you combat him during these busy times in your career?
Birbiglia: Sleepy Karl is a mysterious man who haunts my morning dreams and convinces me to stay in bed. Around 7 a.m., he’ll say, “Why would you go out there when you could stay here and go skiing, and your skis will be French toast sticks?”
Does your social awkwardness inspire your joke telling, or make you feel like you’re an alien?
Birbiglia: Sure. But we’re not alone. I find most people are just struggling to not say the wrong thing—except the people who aren’t worrying about [it] and are entirely unaware that they are always saying the wrong thing. I’m looking at you, Donald Trump.
Let’s talk more about the writing process. How do you come up with new material?
Birbiglia: Well, I try to dig into the more painful moments of my day. Like, for example, it drives me crazy when people are late for things. I think there’s a huge difference between late people and on-time people, and what late people don’t understand about us on-time people is that we all secretly hate them. I used to get mad about this stuff. Now I just talk about it on stage.
What’s it like for a Boston comedian to perform in New York, or vice versa?
Birbiglia: Well, I’ve lived in New York for 15 years, so at this point I feel like a New Yorker. For example, I’m spending the entire week strategizing on how to avoid traffic driving to the Hamptons. How can I do this?!
Do you prepare different sets based on location and, if so, how do you decide on jokes to tell?
Birbiglia: I like to spend time wherever I am and, if something strikes me, I’ll talk about it. With the Hamptons, all I know is that I should be wary of Ponzi schemes and make friends with Billy Joel. Is there anything else?
“Thank God For Jokes” with Mike Birbiglia will stage on Sunday, July 5, at 8 p.m. at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. Attendees must be age 16 or older. Tickets start at $50. For more information, call (631) 288-1500, or visit whbpac.org.
on Jun 30, 2015