Monday, October 13, 2008

Mike Daisey makes fine Chicago debut:

Daisey remains seated, a la Gray, at a simple wooden desk with only a glass of water and a few notes for company. But instead of recounting internal neuroses, Daisey's material relies more on first-person, semi-gonzo reportage from the perspective of the everyday, no-special-access dude. And he has a keen and snarky satirical ear for the ironies and contradictions of the American cultural-political-industrial complex.

The new monologue, "If You See Something, Say Something," forges links between Daisey's trip to the site of the first nuclear bomb detonation and the brief, fraught history of the Department of Homeland Security. It notes the weird relationship between aggression and fear in the post-9/11 world, argues the dangers of standing armies who will always find something to do, attacks the morality of the atomic bomb and kvetches about airport security.

It's a very literate, richly researched and frequently very funny show.

6:54 AM