MIKE BIRBIGLIA: THE OLD MAN AND THE POOL to Begin Performances at Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum This Month

The world premiere of "Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool" will open at Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum on August 3 and continue through August 28 with previews running July 27 through August 2, 2022. This one-man show is written and performed by Mike Birbiglia and directed by Seth Barrish.

On the heels of his award-winning Broadway show "The New One," which made its West Coast premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre, comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia returns to Center Theatre Group with a tale of life, death and a highly chlorinated YMCA pool. With his unique form of comedic storytelling, Birbiglia chronicles a coming-of-middle-age story that asks the big questions: Why are we here? What's next? And what happens when the items at the doctor's office that you thought were decorative become quite useful.

Birbiglia's previous plays "Sleepwalk with Me," "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" and "Thank God for Jokes" all earned Lortel Award nominations for "Best Solo Show" with "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" winning the 2011 award. "The New One" won the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards for "Outstanding Solo Performance."

Mike Birbiglia is a comedian, storyteller, director and actor who has performed in front of audiences worldwide, from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall. His shows, "The New One," "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" and "Thank God for Jokes," were all filmed for Netflix. In addition to performing live, Birbiglia is an author and filmmaker who wrote, directed and starred in the films "Sleepwalk with Me" and "Don't Think Twice." His book "Sleepwalk with Me and Other Painfully True Stories" was a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. As an actor, Birbiglia has appeared on "Inside Amy Schumer," HBO's "Girls" and "Broad City," as well as in the films "Trainwreck," "The Fault in Our Stars" and "Popstar." He played the role of Danny Pearson on "Orange Is the New Black" and Oscar Langstraat on Showtime's "Billions." He is a contributor to "This American Life" on public radio and was honored with the 2017 Kurt Vonnegut Award for humor.

Seth Barrish is co-artistic director of The Barrow Group. For the Netflix presentations, Barrish was the director of "The New One" and "Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend," as well as co-director of "Thank God for Jokes." Theatre directing credits include "Thank God for Jokes" (Lucille Lortel nomination), "All the Rage" (Lortel Award, Outer Critics Circle nomination), "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" (Lortel Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations - final performance at Carnegie Hall), "Sleepwalk with Me" (Nightlife Award), "The Tricky Part" (Obie Award, two Drama Desk nominations), "Pentecost" (Drama Desk nomination), "Old Wicked Songs" (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and Garland Award), "Good" (Straw Hat Award) and many more. Barrish is co-director and co-screenplay writer for "Sleepwalk with Me." As a playwright, he is co-adaptor of "Enemy of the People" (an adaptation of Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People"). Barrish is consulting producer for "Don't Think Twice."

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation's preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles' leading nonprofit theatre company, which, under the leadership of Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, and in collaboration with the five Associate Artistic Directors, Luis Alfaro, Lindsay Allbaugh, Tyrone Davis, Neel Keller, Kelley Kirkpatrick, programs seasons at the 736-seat Mark Taper Forum and 1,600 to 2,100-seat Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the 317-seat Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to presenting and producing the broadest range of theatrical entertainment in the country, Center Theatre Group is one of the nation's leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics and circumstance to serve Los Angeles.

For the time being, they will continue to require masks at of their venues. This is consistent with the commitments we have made with our artists, staff and audiences to ensure their safety. Please note that Los Angeles County has not lifted the mask mandate on County buildings. While full vaccination and booster shots are no longer required, they are strongly recommended.

Please note that these health and safety measures are subject to change, at Center Theatre Group's sole discretion and based on evolving health and safety guidance and conditions. We will continue working closely with The Music Center and L.A. County officials to ensure they are following all applicable health and safety protocols. For more details, please visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/Safety.

Tickets for "Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool" are currently on sale and start at $30. They are available through CenterTheatreGroup.org, Audience Services at (213) 628-2772 or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Offices (at the Ahmanson Theatre) at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012. Performances run Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

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