Conversation so far:
How did Andy Griffith get Andy Griffith's start as a comedian?
Griffith's early career was as a monologist, delivering long stories such as What It Was, Was Football, which is told from the point of view of a naive country preacher.
When did he start acting?
Griffith starred in Ira Levin's one-hour teleplay version of No Time for Sergeants (March 1955) -.
What was his role in that teleplay?
-- a story about a country boy in the United States Air Force -- on The United States Steel Hour, a television anthology series.
How did he transition into comedy from his monoloques?
a story about a country boy in the United States Air Force -- on The United States Steel Hour, a television anthology series.
What did he do after he was on the television anthology series?
He expanded that role in Ira Levin's full-length theatrical version of the same name (October 1955) on Broadway in New York City.
How long did the show run on broadway?
October 1955.
What was the most interesting thing that happened to him in this time period?
The role earned him a "Distinguished Supporting or Featured Dramatic Actor" nomination at the 1956 Tony Awards, losing to Ed Begley.

Question: Did he win any other awards?
Self-contained rewrite: Did Andy Griffith win any other awards other than 1956 Tony Awards nomination?