Got invited to see the magnificent Mike Daisy last night - opening night at the Berkeley Rep - "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs." Everyone who works in tech or owns a Mac, an iPod, or an iPad should see this monologue about the creation of Apple, the rise of the Steves (Jobs and Wozniak), their descent, and rise again of Steve Jobs, and the details of Mike's trip to Shenzhen with Cathy the translator with huge glasses, and how each and every product is handmade in China. Funny! Impressive! A learning! Sad! Filled with nuance and metaphor for our times, all presented on a stark stage with Chinese made LED lights framing Daisy, who sits, as usual, at a desk, this time a glass and metal one. Daisy's hands' turn of the notes' pages denotes each scene change, and the subtle lighting refresh acts as simple scenery shift. Very elegant.
Poignant moment, after we are told that children as young as 12 may work in these factories and everything is handmade (Daisy went on the road and interviewed the workers about their lives and work; not only that, he got true perspective on the factories by meeting with their operators under circumstances you have to see the show to appreciate): when a man whose gnarled hand, frozen in time from an untreated industrial wound, meets Daisy and says he has never seen an actual iPad, because they are packaged and sent abroad and not usually seen by the factory workers...Then Mike takes out his iPad and presents it to the man, who holds it and uses his gnarled old hand to scroll the screen, and says to Mike, "This is some kind of magic, isn't it?"
After the show the audience is handed a flyer entitled, "What Happens Next?" It's a call to action and accountability.
From the program:
"If you want to enjoy a good steak, don't visit the slaughterhouse." - American proverb
Berkeley Rep: http://www.berkeleyrep.org/
"The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" runs along with "Cargo Cult" through February 27.
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