David Sedaris Joins This American Life - Live! Line-up

By Melissa Wiley in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 24, 2012 9:00PM

David Sedaris, possibly This American Life’s most celebrated veteran, is joining all the live action for the upcoming visual extravaganza starring Ira Glass and company, to be beamed into theaters nationwide on May 10. Glass announced April 23 via teleconference that Sedaris’ trademark wit will play its part in the cinematic takeoff on the radio show’s signature exploration of the road less floundered.

“I don’t know how to wave my arms around enough to say we’re pulling out all the stops here, stops I didn’t even know existed,” Glass effused about the upcoming performance. “I got the idea for this show when I was watching a dance performance, and there was something about the personality of the show, the way the dance unfolded, that reminded me of our radio show. The piece seemed to be about moments of awkwardness and anxiety.”

The premise of This American Life, for the two or three of you out there who don’t know, is that the stories are indeed true to quotidian existence, which in Sedaris’ case sometimes strains credulity. Commenting on Sedaris’ penchant for hilarious hyperbole, Glass said, “Yes, there are exaggerations in his stories. As David’s editor, I myself have always assumed that his dialogue isn’t to be taken as reporting … My feeling is that the audience is sophisticated enough that they can tell the difference between reporting and exaggeration and that we don’t have to cue them.”

For fans of Sedaris, his gift for absurdist embroidery is just one more reason to purchase tickets now to the May 10 broadcast.