Thank God for Jokes

Instead of trying to connect a series of autobiographical threads into a singular, sentimental narrative, this performance takes a meta approach to stand-up itself. Mike Birbiglia spends much of the hour explaining why jokes exist, why they are volatile, and why they occasionally get the person telling them into serious trouble. Rather than trying to avoid offense, he addresses the friction of performing comedy in public spaces, examining how different audiences react when they are the ones being joked about.\n\nFilmed at the Harvey Theater at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in November 2016, the special caught Birbiglia at a high point in his career as a theatrical storyteller, coming off his second feature film, “Don’t Think Twice”. The material moves through a sequence of self-inflicted public disasters: getting arrested in New Jersey, trying to explain why he called Jesus a “Jewish socialist” to a hostile crowd at a Christian college, and swearing on stage during an appearance with the Muppets.\n\nThe centerpiece of the show is his recounting of the 2012 Gotham Awards, which he hosted. Birbiglia details the fallout of telling a joke about director David O. Russell’s infamous, leaked onset screaming match with Lily Tomlin, right in front of Russell himself. It serves as the ultimate proof of his central thesis: that jokes have to be about something real, even if that something decides to confront you in the lobby afterward.