Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out

This week, SNL’s Jane Wickline and comedian Liva Pierce return to Working It Out to discuss the Off-Broadway debut of their two person musical comedy show, Dukes. Mike grills Jane and Liva on the realities of working so closely with another person, and the three of them break apart the existential dread that accompanies most of their creativity. Plus, Jane and Liva work out two new songs from their show and the three of them create a song from a bit Mike is working on.

Please Consider Donating To: Survived and Punished NYC 

See Jane and Liva Off-Broadway in Dukes. Get tickets here.

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(Recorded August 2025) Having recently toured together with John Mulaney, Mike and Fred sit down for his first in-studio appearance on Working it Out. They discuss Fred’s SNL audition, his best sketch writing advice, and the manners of navigating video exhibits in museums. Plus, Fred borrows Mike’s guitar to demonstrate how cultures around the world play the acoustic guitar.

Please consider donating to: Letters Charity

 Mike's tour dates: https://www.birbigs.com/tour-dates

Text BIRBIGS to 917-444-7150 for updates

Find Mike:

Website: https://birbigs.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/birbigs/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/birbigfans

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mikebirbiglia

Find Fred:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sordociego/

Hosted and Produced by Mike Birbiglia

Producers: Peter Salomone, Joseph Birbiglia, Mabel Lewis, Gary Simons

Sound Mix: Shubh Saran

Supervising Engineer: Kate Bilinski

Video Consultant: Graham Willoughby

Special Thanks: Marissa Hurwitz, Josh Upfal, David Raphael, Nina Cwik, J. Hope Stein, Oona

Music: Jack Antonoff and Bleachers

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Comedian Aaron Chen may be known internationally for his role on the hit Australian TV series Fisk, but he’s been a working stand-up since the age of 15. In fact, he might be the only Working It Out guest who learned to drive commuting to and from comedy clubs with their dad. Now he’s got a hit Netflix special, Funny Garden. This week, Aaron sits down with Mike to discuss his journey from the suburbs of Sydney to opening for Ali Wong to headlining his own shows across the world. Plus, Aaron and Mike open up about the instances early in their careers when they regrettably lashed out at audiences, and how they became more adept at navigating difficult shows.

Please consider donating to Food Bank For NYC.

Mike's tour dates: https://www.birbigs.com/tour-dates

Text BIRBIGS to 917-444-7150 for updates

Find Mike:

Website: https://birbigs.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/birbigs/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/birbigfans

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mikebirbiglia

Find Aaron:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chennylifestyle/

Website: https://www.aaronchencomedy.com

Hosted and Produced by Mike Birbiglia

Producers: Peter Salomone, Joseph Birbiglia, Mabel Lewis, Gary Simons

Sound Mixed by  Shubh Saran

Supervising Engineer: Kate Bilinski

Video Consultant: Graham Willoughby

Special Thanks: Marissa Hurwitz, Josh Upfal, David Raphael, Nina Cwik, J. Hope Stein, Oona

Music: Jack Antonoff and Bleachers

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This week, the very funny Jon Rudnitsky joins Mike to answer listener submitted questions. The two of them discuss how long it was before they started earning money from comedy, the complete loss of dignity required to make it as a stand-up, and what it is that keeps them showing up every day. Plus, how Jon caused what he believes to be one of the greatest mistakes in SNL history. 

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Wanda Sykes is one of Mike’s original dream guests for the podcast. Now, on the heels of her new Netflix special, Legacy, Wanda talks with Mike about how they both started in DC, and why Wanda left her job at the NSA to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. Wanda tells the story of how she moved from the writers' room of The Chris Rock Show to acting in sketches, how she got tricked into auditioning for Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the weird requests she gets from Curb fans. Plus, new jokes from Mike and Wanda.

Please consider donating to the Ruth Ellis Center.

Mike's tour dates: https://www.birbigs.com/tour-dates

Text BIRBIGS to 917-444-7150 for updates

Find Mike:

Website: https://birbigs.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/birbigs/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/birbigfans

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mikebirbiglia

Find Wanda:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IamWandaSykes/

Website: https://wandasykes.com

Hosted and Produced by Mike Birbiglia

Producers: Peter Salomone, Joseph Birbiglia, Mabel Lewis, Gary Simons

Sound Mixed by  Ben Kruse

Supervising Engineer: Kate Bilinski

Video Consultant: Graham Willoughby

Special Thanks: Marissa Hurwitz, Josh Upfal, David Raphael, Nina Cwik, J. Hope Stein, Oona

Music: Jack Antonoff and Bleachers

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.