Ben Birken

Ben Birken started studying improvisation with the many talented individuals at the DSI Comedy Theater after moving to North Carolina in 2004, thus fulfilling a self-made promise that would try to rediscover the creative spark that obtaining a graduate degree had effectively beaten into submission. He joined Four String Samurai as a free agent pickup after clearing waivers in the summer of 2007.

Back in his California Dreamin’ days, Ben edited and wrote for The Heuristic Squelch, UC Berkeley’s award-winning humor magazine. He also performed stand-up comedy in the SF Bay Area in many prestigious locations, including a Laundromat/coffee bar hybrid that still gives him nightmares.

Ben and his wife live in Chapel Hill, where they enjoy judging reality show contestants and marveling at how much nicer people are in North Carolina.