The New One

Mike Birbiglia begins his Broadway show with a heartfelt tribute to his couch. He likes comfort, he likes his routine, and he absolutely does not want a child. He has a highly specific list of reasons why, starting with a severe sleepwalking disorder that requires him to sleep zipped inside a sleeping bag to prevent him from jumping out of windows. The show charts how he was slowly worn down by his wife, Jen Stein, and eventually agreed to parenthood, only to face a barrage of medical hurdles and the harsh reality of becoming a bystander in his own home.

Filmed at the Cort Theatre in Manhattan, this 2019 Netflix release captured the culmination of a highly successful theatrical run directed by Seth Barrish. By this stage in his career, Birbiglia had moved away from traditional club comedy to define his own lane of narrative-driven, conversational solo shows. Instead of rushing from joke to joke, he lets the tension of his medical history—including a past bout with bladder cancer—and his own reluctance as a father carry the weight of the performance.