Friday, April 06, 2007

Bostonist: Meet Mike Daisey:

Mike Daisey is a monologuist.

It’s a term that can be broken down into the act of telling stories to an audience through the uses of narrative structure and spontaneity. The Mainer-turned-Brooklynite has a table, glass of water and rough story outline available to him to weave together elements of his life, history and surroundings.

"Invincible Summer," currently in a run at the American Repertory Theatre's Zero Arrow in Cambridge, touches upon Daisey's adaptation to New York life, his parents' divorce, the history of NYC's subway system and 9/11 during one tumultuous span of time.

The work is the first of three monologues that the performer, dubbed a "master storyteller" by the New York Times, will perform during a month-long residency at the Zero Arrow. “Invincible Summer" is slated to run until April 29; Daisey will navigate the electricity battle between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, Microsoft, Daisey's hometown and the Monopoly board game during "Monopoly!" in early May; he will then cap his Cambridge residency with a one-night only performance of the brand-new “Tongues Will Wag” on May 8.

Bostonist chatted with Daisey to discuss the art form, the universality of storytelling and just why people have an easy time talking to him after the curtain call.


5:17 PM