A1-It jumps off with the premise that I'm going to tell a story that is a true story, because I actually had an incident sleepwalking where I literally almost died. I start to tell the story and I fill in the details of the story with other stories, so the people get the idea of how this happened in my life.
Q2-So it's more stories than jokes.
A2-It has a campfire feel to it. There's not a lot of bells and whistle. It's not shiny or Broadway-ish. It has the feel of someone telling a very personal story around the campfire.
It's funny because it connects with the audience, and hopefully there's something they can take away with them.
Q3-Can you give me some examples of the details you go into.
A3-One of the things I deal with is the theme of denial. I had sleepwalking incidents for many years before this. I had a dream that there was a hovering insect above my bed and it turned into a jackal. Now, a jackal that would defy gravity and hover over my bed was very scary. So I jumped up on the bed and I said to my girlfriend, "There's a jackal in the bed." She was able to talk me down while I was still asleep.
Another time I dreamed that I was in the Olympics, in this event called "Dust-Bustering." They told me I got third place. I stood up on the podium to receive the medal and the podium was wobbly. Well, I really was up on top of a five-foot high bookcase in the living room, and I fell off. The next morning my girlfriend asked me, "What happened last night, I heard a crash?" I said, "I got third place." You see, even in my wildest dreams I don't get first place. In my wildest dreams, I medal.
Q4-Is this show standup or theater?
Off-Broadway theater presents my show pretty much the same way you'd see me at a comedy club; the biggest physical differences: the use of a lapel mic and a stage covered in shiny blue plexiglass. But one of the elements that makes this a one-man theatrical piece - and not only a stand-up comedy performance - is the material's through line.
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ON THE NET: www.sleepwalkwithmike.com
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