Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out - 160. Rory Scovel Returns: How To Do 600 Minutes of Improvised Standup

Episode Date: February 10, 2025

This week Rory Scovel returns to the podcast with his review of how doing a year of completely improvised stand-up went. Mike and Rory dive into the creative process and their own fears on stage, why Rory is jealous of other comedians, and why someone being married to a comedian is hard because every day that comedian  has a “presentation at work.” Plus, the two comics work out new jokes about brain bleeds and how to figure out where your daughter goes to school. Please Consider Donating To: World Central Kitchen

Do you have any hacks for the work-life balance of being a comic and like a dad and a husband? No, I don't even lie, being here for 12 total nights. I get on Zoom and I'm like, you're on FaceTime. We schedule Zooms. I'm gonna FaceTime with the family and babe, send the link, I wanna say goodnight. Click accept, click accept.

Baby, you have to make the meeting more than 10 minutes. She didn't click accept. I sat there for an hour. I have a life too. It was me. It was Doug. It was Tony and HR. There's producers and stuff.

They're on it too. Just doing notes. Why are their screens black? Turn your video. There was an extras coordinator. There was a extras coordinator, there was a cinematographer. That is the voice of the great Rory Scoville.

Rory's back, come on! He was on the podcast last year. The moment he left the studio, we go, we gotta do that again, that was so fun. Part of it was that I talked to Rory last time he was on the podcast. If you haven't listened to that one, go back and listen. It's such a good episode.

He talked about how he improvises shows. He does these fully improvised shows and he did some at Union Hall. I saw that it was on the schedule. Union Hall, one of my favorite places for comedy in Brooklyn. I was like, oh, I want to go. And then I went to talk to him about that afterwards. And I asked him and he was into it.

And so that's what we're doing today. I'm really, really excited about it. By the way, thanks to everyone who's coming out to my shows. These are my final shows. I was just in Baltimore at Center Stage. Love that theater. If you live anywhere in your Baltimore, support Baltimore Center Stage. Just a great group of people. Great, great theater. If you live anywhere near Baltimore, support Baltimore Center Stage. Just a great group of people, great, great theater.

This week I'm in West Palm Beach. I'm back at the Kravis Center. Then I'm in Northampton, Massachusetts, Burlington, Vermont. I think most of these are sold out, but then I'm in Los Angeles in March at Largo for my last few shows before I do The good life for six shows at the Beacon Theater.

You heard me. Six shows at the legendary Beacon Theater in New York City. Get your tickets at birbigs.com. I love this conversation with Rory Scovola today. Like I said, he just finished up this residency at the Union Hall. Ten nights, 10 shows, all fully improvised. It was called 600 Minutes for each of these shows.

He did his own painting. He's a painter also. He's a remarkable artist. He did one painting for each show, and I bought two of them. It's on my wall. It's gorgeous here at the Working It Out studio. So we talk about that, we talk about just honesty on stage, sometimes being brutally honest, which Rory often is.

We talk about work-life balance and what that looks like for a comedian, which is a nice addendum to our Severance episode with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott from a couple weeks ago. That was a weird segue, but I'll tell you it. This is a great talk. I love Rory. Enjoy my conversation with the great Rory Scovel. Oh, working it.

So that show last night was incredible. It was- Thank you. I'm gonna hold this up for the people watching on YouTube, but at every performance of 600 Minutes with Rory Scovel, which is an improvised show, Rory has for sale paintings that he did that are gorgeous.

We got two of them. We almost got six, but then we thought it would be weird. Like Jen and I were like, we want that one, that one, and then that one, and that one. And then like our whole house is like Rory Scovel paintings. So you love him? So what's your fucking deal with Rory Scovel anyway? We only like his paintings. The shows were horrible.

But it's so interesting because it's like this. It's called 600 Minutes because it's 10, let's get the math right, Mike, 10 shows, 60 minutes each improvised. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Never seen anything like it. We talked about this kind of last time, that whole, the improvising and going up,

and I've always wanted to do a run that was probably a little too many shows. Sean Patton just asked me the other day, he's like, how did you land on 10? And I was like, well, I wanted to do a number that was kind of a little too many, but also I gotta go home at some point. I go and 10 just felt like the clean number to do for this.

It was funny, someone came up to me, they had opened for me, I don't know, 15 years ago, something like that, and they were like, hey, you gave me a piece of advice a decade ago about how to write an hour of comedy, you have to basically write six hours of comedy. And when you said it to me, I was thinking to myself, this person's crazy.

And now I've written my first hour and I'm like, oh my God, that's the thing that was right. Right, yeah. But it's like, yours is like, times whatever. It's like literally 600 minutes to probably whittle down to like your next hour. Yeah, I think so. And I mean, not even, that's not even just this run

of 10 shows. I mean, I really got even just this run of 10 shows. I mean, I really got into doing this last year, like more than I ever did before that. Last year after I put out my special, I was like, well, let's just do a bunch of these improvised shows, because I get to mess around.

The stakes are low, I think the audience is into it, but also I'll find material. And is there a lot of crossover in the material? No, I mean, you know, broad strokes, sure. I could get into talking about husband, wife, father, mother, family, the big stroke stuff, which I'm totally fine with. I just, if I stumble into it, I try to not go to the same place. But the thing that I'm actively searching for, and the reason I like doing 10 of these

is because I'm trying to break myself of instinctually going to some of the same places. And you start to hit, and it started happening a little bit last night, because last night was show six, you start to get into... Improvised hour six. Show six you start to get into improvised Yeah, you know you start to get into minutiae where you go Oh there this is this very minute fucking hyper focus thing is still very relatable Yeah, and there's jokes there It might not be the broader stroke of what I hope to say as an artist But as guys like us who are like yeah, I do want to say a lot

But also I'm trying to give you jokes about these weird little things and you stumble into them because you kind of get a little tired of the usual big broad strokes. You did this bit last night that made me laugh so hard where you were like, if stand-up comedians go to space, are they gonna lean on the microphone? And then you did like the hacky,

hold the mic, lean on the microphone, and you're like, it doesn't really make sense with the anti-gravity situation. This physicality stays here. And then you made this really dark statement where you go, by the way, if we go to space or another planet, this isn't going. Like, what we're doing here by the way, like if we go to space or another planet, like this isn't going. Like what we're doing here in the basement,

yeah, yeah, we're not gonna do standup comedy up there. Like you're like, at most we're gonna bring like one, that'll be the one guy. And then you go like, no one's like, where's the standup comedian? For our space travel. Jenny and I were dying at that. And I was like, well, and of course,

the first thing we asked when we go home, to me and Jenny, we were just like, will that stay in? Right, yeah, yeah. Will stand-up comedian in space stay in the show? Yeah, well, I think what I'm learning with, you know, specifically being here and talking about process on the show about process, I think my next steps will be the, not necessarily difficult part,

but going, all right, now in the zero fun but work way, I will now go back and listen to 600 minutes. It's so much work. Jotting down verbatim how I got into a thing that I thought worked in the event that that's how I need to still get into it. Or if I like that way in. And then from that, then going, all right,

well now what should I have said up there that could have tagged this that I didn't? I gotta say the good and bad of it is that after the show, into the night, even today, I've thought of so many other angles where I'm like, I could have done so much more about fork, spoon, knife. That could have been a whole entire act of the battle of those industries.

But you don't see it till later because you're, my goal is to get to that hyper relaxed place of all those options do appear like the Matrix. In real time. Because you're not desperately hoping this moment is working and you're not desperately hoping you find the next moment. Instead you're just letting it be exactly as it is.

And so your brain floods with ideas. I would have the thing, because Jen said to me, my wife said to me on the way home, she goes, would you consider doing that? And I was like, I would. And when I'm watching, I'm like, oh, I want to do this. But then my problem is I'm confessional. And so I'm like, I can't tell everyone everything.

I can't just let it fly fly and then I say some crazy shit and then it's in the universe forever and then I have this weird secret with a hundred people. Do you ever think about that? Do you ever say some shit where you're like, well, I'm not gonna say that again? Yeah, it's, I will say, and one, I think you already are kind of doing this.

I think you start, but I doing this. I think you start... But isn't step one of your shows, it might not be this dramatic level of improvise, but step one of your process of building out your new show whenever you're in that phase is... I feel like when you have new jokes, you're in a space of exploring it in a loose way and looking for it.

No, no, definitely. Yeah. But I don't, yeah, no, you're right. I do it, but I don't go up with nothing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's something about that, like, that I would let my brain just kind of, like, I would, you know, open the birdhouse door to my brain

and be like, hey, look in. Crazy, right? I will say that in these moments, especially if the... It might be different. In a show where it's clearly advertised, this is improvised. Yeah. The energy and the dynamic of the show, the energy is different.

Yeah. And when you go to a confessional space to say something, the audience is a little bit more giving of their reaction, which basically translates to keep going, I've also done that, said that, thought that. It's such a... Do you... Like, when does it go the worst?

Is there a night where you do it and you're like, nope didn't work, you know There I I learned this early on be the first six of them that I ever did I think we mentioned this on the last one, but you know, I charged like five bucks or something I just assumed I was gonna bomb every show because I was like, how do you do a show when you don't have a show? But then there was this kind of like a fun energy in the room and I was more desperate then because you're coming off the pace of joke telling

and so you've got sort of a predetermined rhythm you can fall into. And when that rhythm is gone, you just assume everyone wants that rhythm. But what this kind of show has taught me is that no one cares about the predetermined rhythm. I mean, a great example is specifically the type of show that you're now doing in the past two or three shows

that you've done, it's this education of, well, yes, there's parts of this show that will have a rhythm that you would say, oh, that was in a comedy club. But then the next part will not have that rhythm. And also the dramatic tone of my point is not going to be a joke that I'm telling you. And so these shows kind of made me realize that that audiences don't need, you know, set up, punch, get to, I need it to be funny every second or I'll just assume this isn't a comedy show.

Instead, they're like, talk for five minutes with one big laugh at the end. And if that laugh is worth it, to us, that is the same value as lots of little jokes. Totally. You have this clip, because you posted some of them on Instagram, and I feel like I've been trying to convey this for years,

but it's so hard to convey. It's like, you don't want to marry someone like me. You know what I mean? You don't want to marry a comedian. You think you do. We're not fun. It seems fun, It's not fun. Yeah. Every day is a job.

Every day at your job is a presentation for strangers. Yes. It's fucking high. Every day is a presentation for strangers at work. And, you know, it's cute when there's ten people early on in your career. And then after a while, you're like, oh, only ten people? Yeah. When you're like five years in, people are like in your career, and then after a while you're like, oh, only 10 people? Yeah, when you're like five years in, people are like, come on, when do you step it up

a little bit? I wanted to know, in terms of like the working it out of Conceited This Show, it's like, I wanted to know more about that, because like genuinely I'm like, you know, you and I are both married, we both have a nine and a half year old daughter. Yeah.

It was like almost identical lives in different ways. And I'm like, how do you, in a real way, how do you balance that? Because I have that thing a lot of times, the exact thing you're describing where you're like, oh, that must be hard to be married to me, but in ways that I don't even understand. Yes, yeah.

but in ways that I don't even understand. Yes, yeah. It is interesting because, you know, we're in a space of creating a product and I am personally in that space of enjoying creating the product and how I do it, but I'm also have been doing it 21 years. I, there isn't a single stage I step onto even slightly questioning if I'm good at this

or interesting at this. Right. But I gotta say, like I'm still at a point where when I announce a show of playing a theater that's like, I don't know, let's say 500 seats, I'm still sweating the palms a little bit going, will we sell 500 seats? Yeah, of course.

And yet I'm like, and I say to, you know, my reps and stuff all the time, I go, I couldn't be more confident that the product I have built, they will like it. I know they will, but how do you get through to them to then come see the product? And I say all that to say, that's where I'm at in my career and that level of stress and anxiety is something that you do carry into your family and then they sort of have to absorb it and you're also trying to be like, you know, look, when I started stand up, there

was... And they love absorbing it., look, when I started standup, there was- And they love absorbing it, by the way. And they love when I break it down. Can you imagine how fun it would be to absorb what you just described? Yes, exactly, exactly. The anxious hum you just described. Wouldn't it be fun to share that with the family?

It's weird, it's like a weird, I wonder if it'd be more stressful or less stressful if I actually kind of wasn't good and knew that I wasn't. Do you have any hacks for the work life balance of being a comic and like a dad and a husband? No, no, I, there's a big part of me that wants to, that does wonder, fantasizes,

what would it be like if I really just fully committed to the road and got out there? And I can't fully do... I think I can't fully play right now to the level I think I'm capable of getting to. Oh, that's... Because... That's hard.

And I'm okay with that, because I don't want to not be home. Because I know that... Let's say I got to a level where, you know, where a lot of our friends are, you know? Where it's like, hey, without a doubt, I know I'm gonna sell out 40 arenas. Yeah. I, I, I, and this isn't to speak, you know, to their experience.

For me, I think what it would take for me to be able to get to that place is a grind that would take all of my attention. I don't think I have the mental capacity. I see, you know, I know, you know, I know who you're referencing, like some of our peers, they have these... Andrew Dice Clay. Of course, Andrew Dice Clay. And Eddie Murphy in the 70s is who we're referencing.

Yeah, I mean, that is kind of who did start it, though, realistically. Yeah. But when you look at certain people in their kind of arena, kind of like 40 days straight, whatever, first thing I think of is like, where's the family? When are they gonna see the family? I know they have a family.

Yeah, I don't even lie, being here for 12 total nights, I get on Zoom and I'm like, you're on FaceTime. We schedule Zooms. I'm gonna FaceTime with the family and babe, send the link I want to say goodnight. Click accept, click accept. Babe you have to make the meeting more than 10 minutes. She didn't fucking click accept, I sat there for an hour.

Yeah. I have a life too. It was me, it was Doug. It was Tony and HR. There's producers and stuff. They're on it too, just doing notes. Why are their screens black? It was it was Tony and HR They're on it to just do it notes. Why are their screens black? There was an extra. There was an extras coordinator There was a cinematographer. We're all fucking there and my kid my kid won't log on I didn't think we needed locations. I thought that was a loss my kids watching peppa the pig But it's funny we were talking about the parenting thing. It's like it's like I thought that was a loss. My kids watching Peppa the Pig.

But it's funny, we were talking about the parenting thing. It's like, you're saying you're doing this thing you're passionate about, but that's parenting too. Because my whole show that I'm working on right now, which is called The Good Life that I'm doing at the Beacon in March, is like, it's all about my relationship with my dad and then my relationship with my daughter. It's like, what am I teaching my daughter?

What do I learn from my dad? Is how it kind of boils down. And it's like, there are two things that are significant with my dad. And one of them is like how much time I spent with my dad, which I kind of wish were more. And then, that my dad was doing something he was proud of, and that's inspiring.

He was a good doctor. People would come up to me and be like, your dad's a great doctor. You know what I mean? All right, I didn't know. But in a certain way, that's significant. Like your daughter knowing that you're doing something you're super passionate about is important for her to figure out

what she's passionate about. I agree. I think it's- Show business, acting, Nickelodeon, TV shows. Honestly, getting that money to pile up. Um. She. I do think it is important that she sees it.

Get that money in a pile. She loves musical theater and I like that mentally, she gets to start in a place of not thinking that becoming a professional entertainer is just a dream that you chase, which is our starting point. Instead, our kids get to start in a place of going, oh no, it's wildly possible. And there's something about that immediately getting to go,

oh, it's not a dream, you can actually do it, here's how you do it. They're not Nepo babies, they're Nepo kids. I was thinking, yeah, they're Nepo kids. And can we leave them alone? They're Nepo teenagers. Yeah, Nepo teens. But there's something to it. I think it's important for them to see that as an artist,

you can't half ass it if you wanna create something. I wanna actually ask you in terms of process, like knowing that like right now the show you're doing, it's about your dad and what you said, the theme of like your daughter and what you pass on and all that, do you start at that, like you've just sat down, I just did the pretty show, and I'm starting the next one.

I'm gonna do a thing that tells this story, or do you start finding material and then go, oh, the thing that my brain keeps pulling me to. That's what it is. Okay, all right. It's the second one. So it's like, what's funny is is, every time I do one of these shows,

it starts out as, I'm not doing a narrative show again. I'm just doing stuff I think of. Yeah. This is what I'm thinking. This is the funniest thing to me. I thought of a narrative show. Exactly. So I am still doing stuff that I think of.

I'm not bailing on what I said. It is stuff I thought of, but that happens to be a narrative show. It has an arc, but the arc is very funny. No, like I definitely, I start with like, what am I most interested in? And that's what all these cards are whenever people are watching on YouTube and they're like, are the cars it's like they're all just joke stories

Whatever yeah, and then I figure out like, you know Most of the cards that are up here like won't end up in the show sure, you know Because I'm figuring out like oh this could be this to this to this to this Yeah, I learned what you were describing with your show and it's like yesterday for example I wrote down I've written this card which is Dragonfly twice her size. That's the kind of note I write down, which is... I was gonna ask, do you do drugs?

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yo, this week I was dropping acid, and then I wrote on this card, Dragonfly, twice her size. And then I was like, we should film this.

I was like, Mike, how much are you writing the show, how much is the psychedelics writing the show, and then when are like, we should film this. I was like, Mike, how much are you writing the show, how much is the psychedelics writing the show, and then when are you blending them together? No, I wrote. Originally it was called The Old Man Is the Pool, and then he was like, that's too druggy. Well, this is an abstract thing this week that I wrote down,

but I think could be something, which is like, talking to Una in the in the fall, we're on our deck and she sees like a dragonfly. Like I don't know if you have this in your house, but like I, if we have a bug in the house, like I put the cup on it. I'm the, I do the humane, like cup on the thing and then the paper under the thing.

Let it live. Let it live, et cetera. And then Una goes, the dragonfly, it's like afraid of us. We're like 100 times the size. I go, yeah, I know, I know. And you're like, shut up. You're the weirdest dad. Yeah, I'm like, easy.

Calm down, I'm in the middle of something. But like, but it's occurring to me like, oh, like, you know, I'm twice the size of my daughter. My dad was twice the size of me. And like so many of these things that were perspective of my dad, like, you know, getting angry when I was a kid or this or that, I think so much of it, of my perception was outsized

in relation to what it maybe actually was. Like I may never know what my dad's actual, like how he was talking to me or whatever. And I have to think about that in relation to when you raise a child, it's like, how does this, how is this coming off? How is it, you know what I mean? Like I have a moment where I see a parking ticket,

we got a parking ticket, and I'm like, but how come that sign says we don't get a parking ticket, but that sign says we do get a parking ticket. And then I'm like, well, how does she take in me getting mad about the parking ticket and all that stuff? And I just wrote down Dragonfly, twice her size, but a lot of it has to do, I don't know if you have this with your daughter,

but thinking about how is she taking in when you spend time with her? Yeah, I think about it all the time of what, when we're just in the car and it's the two of us, and I'll complain about traffic or something, and she'll have a question, I'm always like, are you at the age where I can break this down for you? I don't know what to tell you about these bigger questions

because these are the questions I want and these are the conversations I wanna have. But also there's a timing to the fragility of your mind and also the innocence of you that I would die for. Who knows at what point the innocence of you that I would die for. I don't want that, you know, it's, who knows at what point the innocence will really start to ramp up and fade away as it does for all of us. But it's like, I'm trying to protect it.

So I also don't wanna be like, well, here's how the world really works. Yeah. I have another question for you about, Please. About processing your show. When you, and if you're like, I've already talked about this on the show forever,

you getting into the map of going, all right, this is the show and this is the theme, this is what it's gonna be, but before that, are you out on the road putting shows together where you're like, where to your point, you are going up for 60 minutes and you are going, I am telling jokes about things I thought of, and then at some point you hit a moment where you go,

all of these are steering towards this one kind of focus. And not even, you're not even trying to make it do that. I did this, you know Jesse Fox. Jesse Fox and Seth Meyers did a documentary called Good One based on Jesse's podcast. Which is, it's on Peacock, and they filmed me like two years ago at the beginning of the process of what is now this show.

I don't think any of the material's in the show. Yeah, yeah, which is kind of great. Yeah. But they interviewed me and they're like, do you think that this material will end up being in a show? And I'm like, I don't know because I don't know what will happen in my life. And you don't know where it goes.

Yeah, and the sad thing is, is like the stroke happened, my dad's stroke happened, and it was like, as I was kind of coping with that, I was finding some jokes in it, and I was like, oh, well that, maybe that's sort of where this chapter two or act two of this goes, which is, I think the first joke I wrote about it is, you know, my dad had a stroke, which is devastating,

but it has calmed him down. Just like, you know, when I was a kid he'd be like. But this is an act two, this is when you're like, kicking into this here? All right, yeah, yeah, great. When I was a kid he'd be like, God damn it, I too? This is when you're like kicking into this here? All right, yeah, yeah, great. When I was a kid he'd be like, God damn it, I'm eating pretzels. And now he's like, pretzels.

I'm like, it's not, it's a little more polite. And a lot, you know, some of it's dramatic and some of it's jokes, but it's like, that's, you know, and that's actually, that's one of the things I was talking about, like what questions my daughter asked me. It's like, like there was a point at which she's just like, what's a stroke? And that's when I realized I can't fully explain

what a stroke is. You know, I'm just like, well, it's like a brain bleed and then it's where the blood is, we have blood in our brain and then it's, I'm not sure where, but somewhere, and then it's one place and then it goes to another place. I'm not sure where it's from or to. We have blood inside our body all the way.

We're bleeding at all times. Maybe you should ask your mom about this, or Grandpa Vince, but not this week. Yeah. And... There's something in there too about acknowledging that you've had ample time to look it up. No, it's true.

No, you know what's amazing though? I've looked it up. That's actually a good point. I still don't fully get it. My dad's a neurologist. Yes. Not only, that's actually something I should hang a lantern on in the show.

It's like I have looked it up, my dad is a neurologist and has had a stroke and I still don't fully get what has happened. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I just tell her it makes people calmer and nicer. Oh my gosh. Your grandfather now just says pretzels. There's a point at which it was funny.

There's a point at which Una said to me recently, she goes, because I, my whole life, I've been like, I'm not going to yell. My dad would yell as a kid, when I was a life, I've been like, I'm not gonna yell. My dad would yell as a kid, when I was a kid. And I was like, I'm not gonna yell. And then recently, I didn't yell, but I was passionate about something. And she's like, my mom was like, dad, why are you yelling?

I'm like, that's not yelling. I don't think you understand, I'm being passionate right now. I go, this is yelling. I go, when I was a kid, my dad would be like, and I did impression of my dad at the decibel level. Yes. He'd be like, you know, he's like, where's my package? You know, whatever you think.

And then my daughter goes, well, he doesn't yell like that anymore. And I go, you're doing my act. High five. Yeah. She got, as Pete Holmes said to me on the podcast recently, she's got her mom's eyes and her dad's act. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's another episode today because you are, like a few of our guests, sometimes people tune into the show and they're like, how come you're not working out a lot of material? And the truth is some of our guests, they don't have, they don't do that necessarily.

Right? Like it's always an awkward thing because you're like, well, I don't want, they don't do that necessarily. Right, so it's an awkward thing, because you're like, well I don't want to bounce a thing off you and then it's just a wall and then it just sits there. But with you I'm literally running five jokes at once, because you're so elastic in that way, you're so quick at it.

So it's an unorthodox episode today. I think we might go to the slow round. That's my speed right there. Who are you jealous of? Great question. Can I give long answers? Yeah. I'm jealous of, to a degree,

the financial element of some of our peers and what they've pulled out of this career. And I want that. However... I want that. I want it the way we all want it. However, I think that I have a jealousy, specifically when it comes to shows and venues,

of Anthony Jeselnik. When I see the theaters he plays, they're all like these beautifully old theaters in all of these cities. And I'm like, I love, you know, I've never played an arena, maybe it is very fun. But when I see him playing those theaters, I'm like, that's the aesthetic that I am jealous of.

I can't sell those tickets, but man, I'm, and it's a good jealousy. It's the jealousy where I go, oh, I'm glad he's doing it. It's now shown me that those exist, and that's an end point. And so I'm jealous of it that I'm not doing it right now, and I'm wildly excited that I've discovered this jealousy because it's given me a target of,

hey, when you do these improvised shows or when you craft an hour, where are you trying to go? You know? The residencies that you do here in New York, I'm wildly jealous of that. Like, I want to have a show where I go, yes, and come in, and I'm walking out, and here is my show.

It is fun to play a comedy club, but we've done it, and I'll keep doing it. But what I haven't done is just gone to, you know, the place that feels theatrically professional and walked out and said, here is my presentation, here is my show. So there's jealousy of that, him, guys like you, like the shows that you're putting together,

I'm like steering towards that. In my doing these improvised shows, I too want to discover some theme that opens my mind to go, oh, this is what I'm trying to say and I didn't realize it until I said a bunch of other stuff with it. So that's what I mean by good jealousy. You need to see people,

someone shows you what they're doing and then you get to go, oh my God, that's that. I should start going down that road and see where I end up. I had that a million years ago with, I opened for Lewis Black, David Tell and Mitch Hedberg in like the early 2000s. I remember this. Yeah, and it was, I probably did like six or eight shows

and it was one of those things where those, you know, it was those kinds of theaters. It was like the Warner in DC and the Beacon in New York, and I was like, and I remember calling my agent and being like, someday I wanna play these, you know, not as the emcee, but the headliner. Honestly, because people listen. And I've sculpted these jokes,

and like, I'm doing better here than I'm doing in clubs. Because in clubs, they're like, you know, eating like broccoli poppers or whatever. No one's getting broccoli poppers. Poppers! Any. Any popper. Two.

No, not jalapeno poppers. Bring us the okra biscuits and broccoli poppers. The weirdest menu at this comedy club. You know, there was a time, I'm sure you'll remember this, we were at JFL Toronto, and you were doing, I think it's Sony Theater or something, it was very big. And you know, you had invited me to come out and do like 10 to open the show.

And it was fun, but it was interesting to step into a space that is very foreign to you, knowing how to project the energy that you know how to project in certain size places, it is always a lesson. And until you start doing it, you can't learn it. You can't write a show until you know what it's like to have to push your energy out further

and also be completely blinded by the lights and knowing that your timing is gonna adjust because there's more people. And so in a good way, if you crush a joke, you get to soak up a little bit more than usual, but it also teaches you, you don't know how to fully get all of these people on like a thread or a joke or a riff. And so that was a big lesson for me.

That was stepping out. I remember getting off that stage and being like, I think that went okay. It starts the show. They're not here to see me. They're here to see Mike. But then I sat on the side and was watching you and I was like, this, I can see the fun in this

once you learn how to start this. Once you learn how to, well, my starting point can't be like a comedy club. This is not that space. We're in this more professional, formal space. And that, I was like, the moment you walked out and started doing the show, I was like,

I had the moment that you had with those guys, is that I watched that and I was like, this, this, I wanna come back to this festival and I wanna do this. I wanna be like, here is the show. You know what's so funny is like, that's a, it's a complex idea, the idea of like, what is the audience experiencing versus what are you experiencing?

You know, how are those things interacting? Like you had a line last night where you were like, that joke should have done better, that joke should have gotten more. And Jenny and I were talking about it, we were like, that joke should have done better, that joke should have gotten more. And Jenny and I were talking about it, we were like, that joke was great. It actually was, what if referees had a reversible jacket

where the other side was a priest's habit? It was so stupid. But it was so stupid, but it was so funny, and you were like, but it's weird because you were like, that should have gotten more, but we were exhausted from laughing at the joke before that we weren't like wound up again. Yeah, yeah.

So it's sometimes interesting when a comedian calls out something and you're like, no, no, no, we do appreciate it. We don't have the oxygen in our body. We gotta stop for a second. Yeah, I love that. But it's like, oh, and the other thing you said last night that I loved, which is, I did a joke for my wife and daughter

and it like bombed with them. Yes. And you were like kind of mad at them. I forget what the exact thing is, but I feel like you should build that out. Yeah, they keep coming up in my act more. And also this is the first time, I mean the very first show I kind of stumbled into this,

but I said, you know, I'm up there trying to dig more into vulnerability and say stuff that maybe isn't funny. And I talked about, you know, my mother passed away when I was really young. My dad passed away about four and a half years ago. And I kind of told a story that I've been told about them. And I just said it. I didn't say it because I wanted it to be funny. And the moment I said it, instantly, as what often happens with us, only when I said it

and sad and that vulnerability that I saw the punchline. And I was like, oh, only when I said it and sat in that vulnerability that I saw the punchline. And I was like, oh, and then I said it. And I was like, oh, this is something I've never done before. I've never talked about this personal space in my life and found jokes to it. And like all things, the moment I said it, it was wildly therapeutic for me to go, well, for 44 years, at least with my mom, or 43 years, I've lived in this space of this sadness. And I've never touched this space because it was so sacred.

And I think it's finally time to just perceive and feel this space differently. I can't keep living in this sadness and what if and what could have been. I have to now go, well, if I want, my job is this. So if I want people to know of her, this is how I have to do it. I have to start comedy. Well, this is my language. Comedy is my language.

And it's, yeah. It's, yeah, it's interesting. Like I have that with even the stroke stuff with my dad. It's like, I have that with even the stroke stuff with my dad. It's like I had to essentially go up with not much, but I know like, well, this is what's closest to my heart. And I know there's a ton of tension. So it's like, okay, if there's tension, there's gotta be a release.

And sometimes you don't know what the release is until you're on stage. And you're like, what about this? What about this? What about this? A lot of times it's like you're swinging a miss on what the release is, but when you can find out what it is.

It can be massive. Yeah, it's massive. And to me, it's like instant therapy. You've given your brain a new rewiring, a new path of, and now when I go there, I'll remember this. And that kind of puts a smile on my face. And the audience too, by the way,

like that's the sweet spot. If everyone can feel the thing in the room at the same time, you're like, yes, this is what we intended. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you have any material you're working on right now that you're open to sort of kicking around? You know, I'm working on one in that Denver show, I stumbled onto just telling the audience, as you do in these improv shows, you just start talking. And so I would just said that whenever I have a flight

before takeoff, no matter what time it is, unless it's like insanely early, but I'll FaceTime my wife and daughter and say like, hey, I've boarded. It's very quick, because I hate being on the phone in those kinds of situations. So I've got my headphones in, I'm like, hey, I've boarded. It's very quick, because I hate being on the phone in those kind of situations. So I've got my headphones in, I'm like, hey, I'm on the plane, we're boarded, I love you,

I'll give you a call when I get to where I'm going. And then it's all like, all right, I love you, have a good flight, blah, blah, blah. And we hang up, and I told the audience, I was like, I think I do that because I assume that if something happens on this flight, they at least got that. Which made me then go into how kind of

slightly narcissistic that is. And so then my brain, after acknowledging that, your brain starts to shift into, oh, let's talk about this. And I just said to the crowd, and I like this, I'm really trying to work on this, I said to the crowd, I go, it makes me wonder what would be better overall if I die first

or if I lose both of them first? Dead silence. And then I go, I go, because if they both die, I go, then I live with it. I have to live with her and I'll get through it. I go and this is where our brain really gets going. I say, but if I die first, I'll tell you what, my wife's never gonna laugh again.

Like, talking about how miserable their lives would be if they lost me. And it just, it started this whole, I've been fascinated with this topic sentence and knowing that the times I've done it, so that's one time I discovered it, and I've kept it as is how I bring it up to a crowd, it's always dead silent.

Like, what a dark fucking sick thing. But then I'm trying to tell everybody the jokes that I get to, it's like, if my wife died, I go, it's gonna be sad right out of the gate. And my wife and I, or my daughter and I, are gonna fight immediately. There's gonna be a lot of mornings of me saying very loudly, I understand that, but we're running late. What school do you go to?

Ha ha ha! That's great! But you know what I mean? Like, that payoff came even higher. But we are running late. What school do you go to? That became even higher payoff because we started at this place, this topics that had zero smiles even. It was just like, Jesus, this is scary.

By the way, that's a great example of what we were talking about earlier of tension and release. Yeah. It's like you're going to literally the most tense topic. Yes. Hypothetical of the most horrible situation. Yeah, yeah.

And I just think like, you know, it's almost like you could do a whole show of hypotheticals that are like, essentially like, how do I Houdini my way out of this insanely unfunny hypothetical? Yes, yeah. Because you have the unique ability, I think, especially, you know, when I see you last night, it's like, I think you have the unique ability, I think, especially when I see you last night,

it's like, I think you have the ability to make almost anything funny, anything work. And it's like, it would be fun to do that as an experiment. I actually like that. I like that as a concept of, or like a show approach. Instead of having some specific theme, almost it almost feels like a bunch of short stories in a way. It's like the stand-up version of it.

It is like a bunch of short stories, like a bunch of vignettes of if this happened, what else, what else, what else, what else, and then essentially eight different times, and then maybe it wraps up in the end in some way. With some thematic close. Yeah, I like that, hypothetically. It's great though.

I mean, that joke is so funny. And also, I think what it does is, the way that it sneaks up on you is that the punch line is so everyday. Yes, yes, exactly. The setup is so dark and like Requiem for a Dream level drama. And then like the punch line is just like, what school do you go to?

I keep tag, now that I like, I keep trying to like tag that moment where I'm like, who is your doctor? Right. And like that question of asking your kid, like any food allergies I need to know about. What is your social security number? Do you know what shots you've had already? Can you name some of your friends?

Yeah. Yeah. I think it's great. So yeah, that's... So it's not like I'm... So in a way, that is something I discovered in one of those improvised shows. Have you ever had a babysitter?

Yeah, yeah. Who babysits you and how often are they willing? What are their... What's their availability for the next few weeks? What are their hours? I'm at the chuckle hut in Tuscaloosa. I'm still doing stand-up. I'm still on the road.

Would they be willing to repost my Instagram story about... Ladies and gentlemen, he just lost his wife and he's here for five straight shows. Oh, my God. Ah! So the final thing is working out for a cause. Is there a nonprofit you'd like to contribute to? Because we will contribute to them and then link to them in the show notes.

Right now with the fires in Los Angeles, I would say there's probably 500 different. We gave to two different fire organizations recently that Jimmy Kimmel posted, because I would actually say that Jimmy Kimmel has been posting great organizations that have been working around the clock on the people who are affected by the fire. And one of them that he posted was World Central Kitchen. And so why don't we link to that and we'll contribute to them and we'll link to them in the show notes

and encourage the listeners to contribute as well because if you can right now, I feel like the people of California are really, really struggling and whatever we can do to support them, I think will be appreciated. Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, it's a hard time.

Yeah. Rory, you're amazing. You're an inspiration. People should see your show wherever you are. It's unbelievable. Same to you. I appreciate that so much. Working it out, cause it's not done.

Working it out, cause there's no one. That's going to do it for another episode of Working It Out. You can follow Rory Scovel on Instagram at RoryScoville. You can watch Rory's latest special, Religion, Sex, and a Few Things in Between on Max. You can watch the full video of this episode on our YouTube channel at MikeBermiglia. While you're doing that, you could watch the Ben Stiller episode, the David Sedaris episode, the Matt Rogers. I mean, so many good ones on there.

Subscribe, because we're just posting more and more, and sign up for the mailing list over on Burbiggs.com. Be the first to know about my upcoming shows. We love doing this show, working it out. Our producers are myself, along with Peter Salomon, Joseph Burbigli, and Mabel Lewis. Associate producer, Gary Simons. Sound mix by Shub Saren, supervising engineer, Kate Belinsky.

Special thanks to Jack Antonoff and Bleachers for their music. I just saw Jack on the Grammys. I was watching TV and he looked so beautiful. Special thanks as always to my wife, the poet, J-Hope Stein and our daughter Una who built the original radio fort made of pillows without which radio fort of pillows.

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Try this podcast where Mike Bribigli talks to other creatives about the process of writing and performing. No, he hasn't talked to Peppa Pig yet. Thanks everybody, we're working it out. We'll see you next time.