Mike Daisey’s groundbreaking The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs revealed the harsh working conditions at Foxconn, Apple’s manufacturer in China. Daisey returns with a revised version to Woolly Mammoth for a 3 week run in July. Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak, after first seeing Daisey’s monologue in 2010 said ”I will never be the same after seeing that show.” Wozniak, it was announced today, will appear with Daisey on stage at Woolly Mammoth for a special post-show discussion on August 4, 2012.
Wozniak was not alone in being shaken by the revelations. Daisey’s monologue, perhaps more than any other theatrical piece in memory, had a shattering impact on audiences, focused media attention on conditions at the Chinese manufacturing plant, and ultimately led to change in the corporate practices of both Apple and its overseas manufacturer.
However, when the public radio program “This American Life”, after airing portions of the show, discovered that not all of its content was factual, Daisey admitted he had fabricated some of the personal details. He returned to the Woolly stage last March for a public forum and was later joined by Woolly leadership, Howard Shalwitz and Jeffrey Hermann. After making a public apology and answering pointed questions, he said “I have a lot of work to do.”
Since then, Daisey has been re-working Steve Jobs, and this week invited national media who criticized his work to attend the show he is about to present at Woolly Mammoth, a theatre where, he admits, he has done some of his best work. The Woolly Mammoth press release, announcing the return, described the revised piece as “stronger, sharper, and more important than ever. This all-new version cuts the contested material and addresses the controversy head on, using the struggle over fact and fiction to tell an even better story that pierces the heart of our human relationship with our labor.”
Recommended: Chris Klimek on “Mike Daisey, Unreliable Narrator”
Tickets for the August 4th performance and special conversation start at $100.
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs runs July 17–August 5, 2012; Tuesdays–Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Tuesday, July 17th will be a Pay-What-You-Can performance and will begin at 8pm. Details and tickets.
You must be logged in to post a comment.