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Last week, over 300 nerds, closet cases, bleeding-heart liberals and counter-cultured people journeyed to the Savoy Goodrich Theater to participate in a religious event, the sometimes disparaging and fictitious but always introspective show, This American Life (TAL).

TAL is a themed radio program, akin to A Prairie Home Companion, where stories are told about everyday American experiences. If that sounds boring, I assure you that it isn’t. Think about your own life for a minute, and rest assured: There are certainly a few experiences that are entertaining to hear.

TAL comes in several formats, the most important being the radio program, which airs on National Public Radio (NPR) on Fridays in an hour-long format. This is how the show got going — in Chicago, no less — and it is listened to by over 2 million individuals a week. There are also live tours and, since last year, a TV program on Showtime that adds a precious visual aspect to stories. But many public radio listeners don’t have cable (or a television for that manner), so the producers have decided to give its disenfranchised but loyal followers a glimpse into TAL’s visual arena.

Cinema was the last great frontier for TAL, and with the advent of high-definition broadcasting and digital DLP projectors in movie theaters, the show had another niche opportunity up its sleeve. For a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the show was broadcast via satellite Thursday, May 1, from the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. If TAL stories are the sermons, then the pastor who delivers them would be Ira Glass: a middle-aged man with a bookworm’s disposition, geek-chic glasses and a face only radio could love.

Once all 300 Urbana-Champaign pilgrims paid the $20 entrance fee and watched a hilariously cerebral interactive interstitial, the show began at 7 p.m. as promised. The live TAL was a combination of the TV and radio formats. Glass sat on stage with his radio board and mixing tools. He impressively mixed and edited clips of American life stories live; there were many gaffes and bloopers, which merely made this live performance all the more precious.

A typical TAL revolves around a theme common to our collective experience such as a love lost or a transforming event. This live anomaly was without a real subject, but if there had been a theme, it would have been “sell the TV program.” But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t entertaining or intellectually arousing.

Some of the stories included “Speak to an Iraqi,” where a worldly Iraqi man living in New York City traveled to the south and set up a booth; the booth proudly proclaimed “speak to an Iraqi.” What started out as an interesting thought turned into an incredibly in-depth look into the American psyche about the war, and Americans’ uneasiness with addressing the devastating effects the conflict has had on our image of freedom, morality and “the American way.”

Another interesting segment was about high school photos and portraits and how when we look back, we get a disingenuous view of our past. After a few more stories, we got a look into the evolution of the TV show. Glass and the show’s producers are very humble about their product. They constantly prod and probe its viewers, asking them, “Is this what you want from us?”

Overall, the event was worth every dollar, though Savoy didn’t even check our tickets (“I could have gotten in for free!”). If you haven’t had the experience of listening to Glass’ distinctive voice frame these in-depth stories, curl up on a couch with some hot cocoa, turn off the television, close your eyes and listen. If you have Showtime, the television series is back on for a second season, starting May 4 and continuing throughout the summer.