Showing titles in Storytelling

[Contains explicit content] San Francisco in the late '80s was a real swinging place - sometimes literally, as was the case during the Loma Prieta earthquake. Seasoned improviser, actor, and comedian Greg Proops (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) remembers being in the city as it was thrown into chaos in this harrowing episode of Hold On with Eugene Mirman.

[Contains explicit content] Storytelling can bring together people from many different cultures and, at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, it brought together Eugene Mirman and Gad Elmaleh for a special live recording of Hold On. Montreal was a fitting place to hear the tale of Gad's transition from the French tradition of live comedy to a more casual North American stand-up style. It's also fitting that Eugene was on hand to casually interject with thoughtful and funny questions.

[Contains explicit content] Comedian Kurt Braunohler (IFC's Bunk, Audible's Wedlock) once found enlightenment in the oddest of places: an Apple store bathroom. There, the seeds of inspiration were planted in his mind and he decided to take an unconventional break from his (then) long-term relationship. Eugene Mirman sat Kurt down to hear how that unusual plant went and to ask a few burning questions.

[Contains explicit content] If there’s one thing “Weird Al” Yankovic loves, it’s jamming out on his accordion. If there's one thing Eugene Mirman enjoys more than pausing comedians' pre-recorded stories for his hit show Hold On, it's pausing comedians' stories they haven't ever recorded before on his hit show Hold On! On this episode, "Weird Al” opens up about going under the knife on live TV for the surgery that redefined his iconic look and Eugene gets inquisitive about the whole eye-opening ordeal.

[Contains explicit content] They say that cats have nine lives. Well, comedian Chris Fairbanks was lucky enough to share several of those lives with a stray he took in. Chris told a few memorable anecdotes about his feline friend for The Narrators in Denver. On this episode of Hold On, Eugene Mirman breaks out the catnip to learn more about the indelible origin story of Chris' fiery furball companion.

Mike Daisey is a fierce storyteller, one minute hilarious, the next minute sweet, with a fine-tuned ear for digression. He circles in on his uneasy subject matter, closer and closer, until he exposes the raw heart. The New York Times calls him "the master storyteller" and he has been compared to Garrison Keillor, Spalding Gray, and David Sedaris.

Michael Ian Black (Wet Hot American Summer, The State) admits to being conservative in his proclivities, but on his honeymoon to Amsterdam, he decided to give marijuana a try.

[Contains explicit content] Losing your virginity is usually just as terrifying as it is exciting — which is why most of the time, would-be virginity losers make a plan. Who? Where? What to wear (or take off)? Whether the plan works out, however, is a different story. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, two storytellers describe hatching their first time plans and the hilarious hitches that befell them.

[Contains explicit content] The most hopeless of crushes are often the most powerful. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage we'll hear a studio story from Samm Levine, the actor whose breakout role was in the cult TV favorite Freaks and Geeks. Samm shares a story about his pre and post-fame crush on a girl with an intoxicating name. We'll also hear a RISK! live story from David Montgomery, who once nurtured a rather expensive crush on a rather unavailable man.

[Contains explicit content] In this special, single-story episode of Hot Mic, Lily Be tells the tale of how her parents' marriage ended — a mystery she had to wait more than a decade to uncover. Plus, Dan Savage shares his thoughts on monogamy, secrets, and more. This episode features the story "Conversion Van Stowaway", which Lily Be told for RISK!, as well as an anonymous secret from BedPost Confessions.

Six episodes from Colonial Radio Theatre's long running comedy series, The New Dibble Show. Join Dibble and the gang from Mayham for lots of laughs and good clean comedy for the entire family. Episodes include: "Bragging Jake Part 1" - Jake tells his Aunt and Uncle from Peoria that he is the star of his own radio show. The trouble begins when they arrive in Mayham and attend the show! "Bragging Jake Part 2" - Dibble and the gang perform their version of Robin Hood, with Jake as Robin Hood and Dibble as Little John.

[Contains explicit content] Mike Lawrence is an excellent comedic competitor on shows like @Midnight and Roast Battle, but his adversaries on those shows might set their sights on his pre-comedy pursuits for japes and jabs if only they knew...in high school he was big into slam poetry. Thankfully, Eugene Mirman is a friendly fellow who's curiosity trumps any temptation to mock. Mike shared his story of coming up through the slam poetry open mic scene in Florida in a story for RISK!

[Contains explicit content] Since this is a show about sex and relationships, we figured maybe in at least one episode we'd talk about the part that involves baby making. We'll also talk about what happens when you want a baby, but don't want to sex it into existence. Plus, a surprising revelation: babies eventually turn into teenagers. Get ready for two hilarious live stories about baby makery, curated by host Dan Savage.

Michael Patrick King attends his first Bikram yoga class, and it doesn't go so well.

A deeply funny story by Jason Kordelos about his therapist's needs.

[Contains explicit content] In the effort to find a perfect partner, we end up falling for people who fall short. Some of these shortcomings are, of course, inevitable, but this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, features two storytellers who reach their breaking points. First up is comedian Michelle Buteau with her story "Fly Girl," told live for RISK! in San Francisco. Then, Sandi Marx shares the perks and drawbacks of being nice when a relationship isn't so great.

Horatio Sanz is an important figure in the Chicago comedy scene. The Chicago neighborhood that teenage Horatio would frequent with his friends also happened to be home to a few unsavory characters, one of whom may have improvised a little vigilante justice and a lot of arson.

[Contains explicit content] David Cross (Mr. Show, Arrested Development) is a pillar of the comedy world, but even a man who is known for acerbic, often political standup and metatextual, intricate sketch writing can still have a soft spot for a good old-fashioned prank. Eugene Mirman brought David onstage at the NYC Podfest to revisit the impromptu execution of that practical joke and ask him questions about how it all played out. Live from New York it's Hold On with Eugene Mirman!

José Jiménez has often been described as an ethnic character. But José is the quintessential "little man". Featured in the movie The Right Stuff, and starring at President John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball, Bill Dana's José is a most memorable, classic, and original character.

[Contains explicit content] Online dating is the grandest gamble — the reward might be a great time, but the opportunity for disappointment and deception is no joke. This episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage features two hilarious stories about online hookups that went in different directions than the storytellers imagined. First up, comedian and writer Guy Branum shares a story with us in studio about a hookup gone rogue.