The New One

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First the good news: comedian Mike Birbiglia is back in town with a new solo performance piece at the Cherry Lane Theatre. Ever since seeing Sleepwalk with Me in 2009, I have been hooked on his brand of humor: good-natured, self-deprecating, unflinchingly honest and thoroughly grounded in life. To reveal too much about the story behind the present piece would spoil some of the pleasure, so I will merely say that the unifying theme is a look at Birbiglia’s experience of married life, couched in the story of his sofa (sorry for the pun; sometimes I just can’t resist.) The long opening sequence is virtually a love letter to his favorite sofa for all the pleasure it has given him. As Birbiglia is wont to do, he will return to the sofa motif more than once as he shares his ups and downs en route to a satisfying climax. To consider him merely a stand-up comedian would be to shortchange his enormous skill as a storyteller. Beowulf Boritt (Act One, The Scottsboro Boys) has designed a simple set of slat wood panels over brick that extend through the auditorium. The stage is bare except for a stool and a Persian rug, but there is a startling transformation about an hour in. Aaron Copp’s (My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, Thank God for Jokes) lighting is effective. His usual director Seth Barrish (My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, Thank God for Jokes) once again shows his flair for the material. Each time I see a new Birbiglia show, I am fearful that it could not possibly be as good as the previous one. Each time I am happy to find that my worries were groundless. My only quibble is that I think trimming out five or ten minutes would have improved the piece. Running time: 85 minutes, no intermission.

So what’s the bad news? Apparently, Birbiglia has developed quite a following. Despite the absence of any advertising that I could see, the entire run was virtually sold out before previews began. I heard about it only by chance. As I write this, there are a few scattered seats available until the end of July. Check the website (https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/991581/1530417600000) for possible changes. If you are not lucky enough to snag a seat, treat yourself to a consolation prize and watch one of his previous pieces on Netflix.