MIKE BIRBIGLIA: THIS AMERICAN COMIC

Ira Glass created This American Life to give non-fiction writers like David Sedaris a platform to tell their stories on the radio. When he discovered comedian Mike Birbiglia, he not only gave him the mic, he produced Birbiglia’s breakthrough critically acclaimed film Sleepwalk with Me. Mostly autobiographical, the film is the story of a standup comedian who suffers from REM Behavior Disorder — sleepwalking — resulting in his nearly killing himself by jumping out of a second-story window. Written by, directed by and starring Birbiglia, the film, as well as the Nathan Lane-endorsed off-Broadway show it was based on, helped launch Birbiglia’s career as a successful full-time comic. Blending standup comedy, monologues and theater, his Thank God for Jokes tour features the comedian in a (sometimes painfully) awkward one-man show.