Comedian Birbiglia shares sleepwalking stories on stage
July 23, 2008
Savannah, Georgia (WiredPRNews.com) — Mike Birbiglia, an American comedian, intends to sleepwalk his way during the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal. He will perform this feat while connecting with the audience through a one-man show called ‘Sleepwalk with Me’ where he tells a story about his sleeping disorder. This is a strong personal story which Birbiglia says he once wavered from telling on stage.
At the age of 24, Birbiglia was the youngest comedian to appear on the David Letterman Show as he built a stand up reputation with appearances on Comedy Central. Later, he realized that instead of telling jokes, story telling would be helpful in connecting on a deeper level with audiences. Birbiglia said that his experience in sleepwalking were peculiar and even dangerous, and his family members advised him not to disclose this secret. After some time, he started telling his stories on stage and was amazed to see that people started coming up to him and telling him their own stories.
Birbiglia said that he never wanted to see a doctor for his problem until one sleepwalking incident almost took his life. He says his stories relieve him from the requirement of therapy. What is more appealing is that a large number of people have the problem and they are uncomfortable talking about it.
He has created three Comedy Central television specials and two highly praised CDs. Every Friday, he appears as the host of ‘Friday Night Stand-up’ on Comedy Central along with his special ‘What I should have said was nothing’.
Wired Art Reporter
