Performing Arts Series Spotlight: Mike Daisey

During a recent survey, an overwhelming percentage of students said they wanted to see more storytelling events like TEDx, Moth and Cocoon. This Friday, Jan. 16 and Saturday, Jan. 17 in Wright Memorial Theatre at 8 p.m., students will have that opportunity.  Mike Daisey is a monologist who demands a reaction.

A self-proclaimed mansplainer, Daisey doesn’t pull any punches as he tears into relevant political and personal topics without apology or censorship, poking fun at himself and his audience along the way while leaving his audience with a lot to chew on.

In Faster Better Social, he will be discussing the increasing presence of technology in our lives. What are we gaining? What are we losing? And what are we becoming?  Not only will Daisey be offering two performances, but he will also field questions from J-term classes and the public in Kevin P. Mahaney ’84 Center for the Arts (MCA) 232 on Jan. 17 at 4:15 p.m. All members of the community are welcome to listen and participate in what is sure to be a riveting dialogue about theater, journalism, truth and social change.

Acclaimed by the New York Times as “One of the finest solo performers of his generation,” and handling a berth of provocative topics, Daisey is one of the most illustrious and controversial performers of the College’s season.

His reactionary monologues weave together autobiography, gonzo journalism and unscripted performance to tell hilarious and intriguing stories that characterize our age. In Faster Better Social he examines the roiling landscape of technological change.

Daisey explores a new world where smartphones have fundamentally altered our perception and interaction with the world, “privacy” enables the commoditization of consumer information and time is redefined as we train ourselves to speak in 140 character haikus.

The Performing Arts Series is more than just string quartets. Daisey’s gig is a great example. The experimentation Daisey does with storytelling excites and enchants in an entirely different way. Apart from an enthralling stage presence and delivery, Daisey’s tales are enjoyable both for their own sake and for the larger picture he offers his audience.

He broaches issues many people don’t like, talking about consumer capitalism or how our world is built on the subjugation and ownership of women. In his show Yes Man this past summer, Daisey didn’t try to speak for women — instead he used his own life as a way of framing discussion about gender equality and the human experience.

In his 2010 monologue The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs he was taking a deliberate stance on the effect consumer capitalism has on the world. Unfortunately, however, the nature of Daisey’s crusade for truth and awareness has brought him trouble in the past.

Although Daisey is first and foremost a performer, in 2012 he came under fire and was accused of compromising journalistic integrity. Granted, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs was moved beyond the stage and adapted for the broadcast This American Life where artistic license is less well received.

This raises an important question. What obligation does an entertainer such as Daisey have to maintain strict interpretations of truth? How far does artistic license extend? Yes, Daisey is a man with a message, but the vehicle is humor. Ultimately, the public-radio broadcast was retracted by host Ira Glass, but today Daisey remains true to his mission to delight and incite dialogue.

Since his first monologue in 1997, he has created dozens of powerful solo performances, each characterized by biting and clever criticisms of social and political landscapes and provocative delivery.

This fall he performed a critically acclaimed 29-night live theatrical novel, All the Faces of the Moon. He is a longtime host and storyteller with The Moth, a contributor to The New York Times, The Guardian, Harper’s Magazine, Newsweek, WIRED, Vanity Fair, Slate, Salon, NPR and the BBC and has appeared on both Real Time with Bill Maher and the Late Show with David Letterman.

Ultimately, Daisey raises a lot of questions. Apart from those he poses during performance, his continued success invites larger wonderings about what obligations a performer such as Daisey has to his or her audience.

Must facts be kept entirely pure or is elaboration an inherent and necessary part of the genre — does being a professional differentiate Daisey from my brother fudging the size of the fish he caught? To me it depends on whether the primary objective is to entertain or to inform. Regardless, Daisey is worthwhile on two levels, both for what he says and for what he represents.

Love him or hate him, Daisey is a fixture of public theater. His engrossing delivery and thoughtfulness guarantee an entertaining hour and something to talk about for many days after the performance. Come to the Wright Memorial Theatre this Friday or Saturday at 8 p.m. and start the evening off right.

Tickets are $6 for students; $15 for faculty, staff, alumni, and other ID card holders; $20 for general public. Check with your commons office for discounts! Visit go/boxoffice or stop by our office in McCullough Student Center or the MCA!