Then there was Adam Ruben. One of Mortified DC’s producers, it seems teenage Adam fancied himself a young Charles Bukowski, writing poems with opening lines like “To have sex with a mountain” and “Up and left, and up and right, and right and wrong.” He even wrote a poem made up entirely of punctuation marks, claiming in earnest that it was “about fish.”

But despite this extensive resume, Ruben isn’t Comedy Central-famous, which makes the series of stories about his worst stand-up gigs feel more authentic than romanticized.

I was interviewed for an article about everyone’s favorite topic, preparedness for grad school.

Ruben was endearing and enjoyable to watch through it all. He had just the right mix of funny quips and stories from his past years as a comedian to engage the audience throughout.

As a performer, Ruben is very likable. Unlike some comics that hammer you to death in delivery, Ruben just tells his stories and the laughs come very naturally.  Overall Adam Ruben and I Feel Funny: True Misadventures in Stand-Up Comedy is thoroughly enjoyable and definitely worth checking out as part of your Fringe going experience.

[Ruben’s] essential earnestness and humility exude through his one-man show, I Feel Funny:  True Misadventures in Stand-Up Comedy.