MIKE BIRBIGLIA (Writer/Performer) In his career of 11 years, Mike Birbiglia has released two critically acclaimed albums and three Comedy Central specials. At 24, Mike was one of the youngest comedians ever to appear on The Late Show With David Letterman. From there, Mike took his act on the road: headlining colleges, then clubs, then concert halls nationwide. His first album on Comedy Central Records, Two Drink Mike, drew comparisons to Jerry Seinfeld from Esquire. In 2003, Mike performed at HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, where he was asked to be a part of The Moth Storytelling Series. This piqued his interest in bringing more honest storytelling to his standup. Over the next year, Mike started writing his “Secret Public Journal,” a blog chronicling his habit of “making awkward situations even more awkward.” The Journal picked up 30,000 email subscribers and an invitation to perform it regularly on the nationally-syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show. In 2007, Mike released My Secret Public Journal Live, a live performance of his favorite stories, which both Time Out New York and Time Out Chicago hailed as the “Comedy Album of the Year.” The Boston Globe called Mike’s storytelling “as honest as any Richard Pryor confession, and as engaging and inclusive as an old Bill Cosby record.”

In July of 2008 Mike made his debut on This American Life and has since become a regular contributor. In October 2008, Mike debuted his one-person show, Sleepwalk With Me, an off-Broadway show that was presented by Nathan Lane. The show received extremely positive reviews: The New York Times calling it “Simply Perfect,” and The New Yorker describing it as “Funny and intricately layered.” The show was twice extended, and in February of 2008 Mike was named “Outstanding Comedian in a Major Engagement” by the Nightlife Awards. In support of the show, Mike returned to The Late Show With David Letterman, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live! The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, and also appeared on The View.  

Currently Mike is working on a book for Simon & Schuster and is planning a 28-city tour this fall for Comedy Central. When asked to comment on the bio he wrote for himself, Mike said, “Wow, I’ve been busy.”