The last time Mike Daisey performed How Theater Failed America in Seattle, it seemed to arrive just in time to address the then recent near collapse of the ACT...Such uncanny timing is part and parcel with Daisey's resume and increasing stature on the national theater scene, as evidenced by the emergence of The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs at a time when the horrible work conditions and corporate practices in China are coming to light. more ›

Jeremy: You know, I find it kind of funny: for a show about how theater screwed up, there was very little discussion of how theater is relevant. Mike Daisey seemed to concentrate exclusively on one aspect of the U.S. theater industry--the big regional theaters, like Seattle Rep or the Oregon Shakespeare Festival--and blamed them for their strange business choices. Not that he doesn't have a point, but it seems to dodge (or presuppose) the question: what does theater do that's so important? I have my own thoughts on the matter, but really, Daisey seemed to take it as a given. more ›

at the Capitol Hill Arts Center. Daisey takes aim at the theater for its manifold failures: its pretentions, its disconnect from the world around it, its self-satisfaction. (Check out a five-minute sample over at the Slog.) more ›

Monologuist and fascinating human being Mike Daisey arrives in town next week for a Jan 18 - Feb 3 run of his show Monopoly! at CHAC, followed by a shorter try-out of his newest piece, How Theater Failed America. We got Daisey on the horn the other day and took a walk down memory lane with him, a la Dick Cavett, to soften him up before surprising him with hard-hitting questions about how many pictures he posts on his blog. Then we hung up and bought a ticket to the show. more ›