Berkeley Rep Blog
Mike Daisey goes against the grain
posted by Karen McKevitt on Tue, Feb 8, 2011
in News
In half an hour (at noon), Mike Daisey will be on KPFA's "Against the Grain." That's at 94.1FM or online at kpfa.org, so tune in!
If ya miss it, listen to the archive!
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Confessions of a concessionaire: a delicious dilemma
posted by Kate Vangeloff on Fri, Feb 4, 2011
in At the theatre
As you may or may not know, Berkeley Rep serves cupcakes at concessions. I feel that for the purposes of this blog post, it is important to note that these are not just any ordinary cupcakes. They are as delectable as they are aesthetically appealing — a rare combination in the pastry world. And no, I don’t work for the bakery who supplies them (the company is named “Love at First Bite,” in case you were wondering. It is NOT named “A Bite for Sore Eyes” as one of my fellow concessionaires, who shall remain nameless, once accidentally told a patron). Anyway, I just really like them because they’re just really that good.
As a concessionaire (and the marketing fellow, no less), it is imperative that I know my product and am ready to deftly answer any concessions-related questions that might arise: Where are these cookies from? Semifreddi’s! Which of these beers are local? Both of them! What flavors are these cupcakes? Strawberry, Red Velvet, Peanut Butter, and…Cookies & Cream!
You get the idea.
However, this past Tuesday my cupcake world was suddenly turned frosting-side down. We received a new shipment of cupcakes in which there were two, yes, two cupcakes that would have fulfilled my own personal visual requirements to earn a “Cookies & Cream” flavor designation. This new development shocked me, as I was unable to identify the new cupcake as anything other than “Cookies & Cream: Version 2.0.” Being inquisitive by nature, I did some internet sleuthing, and I am proud to announce that I have solved this cupcake mystery.
On the left of exhibit A, you will find the true Cookies & Cream cupcake, notably marked by its rakish, Oreo-crescent chapeau. On the right, you will find what Love at First Bite calls their “Mud Pie” cupcake—a devil’s food chocolate cupcake topped with whipped mocha frosting and Oreo crumbs.
Here’s to knowledgeable cupcake consumption for all!
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Fanboy flame wars
posted by Karen McKevitt on Tue, Feb 1, 2011
in Our shows
The comment boards are lighting up over at CNET.com and TechCrunch in response to Mike's interviews about The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Here's one video of two from TechCrunch -- go join the conversation!
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Mike Daisey goes to Macworld
posted by Karen McKevitt on Mon, Jan 31, 2011
in Our shows
Last Friday Mike Daisey journeyed deep into the land of iPhones and Macbook Pro's -- the land of Macworld and Twitter headquarters to promote The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs.
At Macworld he caught up with the journalist from Fortune magazine, who wanted to ask some follow-up questions, and he did a short interview that streamed live on The Unofficial Apple Weblog. (If you happen to find a link, please comment -- I couldn't find one!)
Mike being interviewed on The Unofficial Apple Weblog at Macworld.
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Room for thought: arts funding during a fiscal crisis
posted by Karen McKevitt on Thu, Jan 27, 2011
in General theatre talk
Berkeley Rep is looped into the national (and international) conversation about the arts, arts education, arts policy, and more -- and we want to share with you stories we find especially thought-provoking.
The LA Times “Culture Monster” reports on the Republican Study Committee’s proposed Spending Reduction Act of 2011. While the article focuses on the proposed cuts of the arts, the Act actually proposes cuts in many sectors.
Read the article in the LA Times, check out the Reduction Act’s two-page summary (pdf), and if you’d like to read more, here’s more info on the entire proposal.
In related news, the Huffington Post published this article about newly elected Kansas governor Sam Brownback’s planned executive order to eliminate the Kansas Arts Commission. If he does so, Kansas will be the first U.S. state without an arts commission.
Do you think arts should be eliminated during a fiscal crisis? Tell us what you think!
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Join the Daisey dialogue
posted by Karen McKevitt on Tue, Jan 25, 2011
in Our shows
Mike Daisey’s show, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, earned some money reviews this week (as did his other show, The Last Cargo Cult, a couple of weeks ago) from the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News and a few other outlets, but there’s also an interesting discussion going on over at Cult of Mac about the show, and an interesting blog post at KQED’s “news fix.” Feel free to join the conversation there, here, or even on our Facebook page.
Photo of Mike Daisey in The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs by kevinberne.com.
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Mike Daisey's (finite) playlist
posted by Karen McKevitt on Mon, Jan 24, 2011
in Our shows
Here at Berkeley Rep, we always put a lot of thought into lobby and pre-show music. Not surprisingly, Mike Daisey does the same, and he and his director and wife, Jean-Michele Gregory, brought along their own “mix tape” to play in the lobby and before his two shows, The Last Cargo Cult and The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Here’s the playlist:
(Nothing but) Flowers - Talking Heads
I Have the Password to Your Shell... - Barcelona
Such Great Heights - The Postal Service
You, Me, and the Bourgeoisie - The Submarines
Everybody Loves You Now - Billy Joel
Bad Romance - Lady GaGa
Skullcrusher Mountain - Jonathan Coulton
Exodus Honey - Honeycut
Blood Makes Noise - Suzanne Vega
And, for the curtain call:
He Got Game - Public Enemy
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Tony Taccone in the first person
posted by Karen McKevitt on Thu, Jan 20, 2011
in News
Did you happen to catch Artistic Director Tony Taccone last Friday on KQED Radio's "Forum with Michael Krasny"? No? Well, you're in luck -- there's still time to download the mp3 and hear him talk about sending shows to Broadway, working with artists like Tony Kushner and Rita Moreno, creating new work -- and hear him field calls from passionate listeners.
Photo of Tony Taccone with Tony Kushner by Cheshire Isaacs.
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"It is almost impossible to imagine..."
posted by Terence Keane on Tue, Jan 18, 2011
in News , Our shows
This Thursday, we begin performances of The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Mike Daisey’s monologues always comment on cultural trends and current events, yet no one anticipated that Steve Jobs would announce a leave of absence this week.
Mike wrote about this news in his blog today: "It is almost impossible to imagine Apple without him, and there's a palpable sense of loss and change as the tech industry struggles to know what this will mean for its future."
Read all of Mike's thoughts on what he calls "the best work I have ever created" by clicking here.
Photo by Ursa Waz
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Some money reviews for The Last Cargo Cult!
posted by Karen McKevitt on Fri, Jan 14, 2011
in News , Our shows
The critics agree: Only Mike Daisey can turn the recession into a hilarious, provocative, and incisive adventure story. Check out these money reviews!
"Scintillating... Daisey applies his robust comic style and challenging insights to the aftermath of the banking meltdown [and] plunges into thought-provoking looks at the artificial value of money and the 'pyramid scheme' of international finance... No other monologist rants as captivatingly." -- SF Chronicle
"Hilarious, provocative... Not only does he know where to find a story, but he knows how to tell is better than just about anyone... Sometimes laconic, occasionally folksy and full to the brim with killer-cogent observations... with rafter-rattling screams and strings of world-class profanity... Amazing!" -- San Jose Mercury News / Contra Costa Times
"His story has to do, among many other things, with a live volcano, and that's what he's like on stage. He erupts in ways that are frightening and so dazzling you just can't turn away... When Mike Daisey talks, I buy it. I completely buy it." -- Chad Jones' TheaterDogs.net
And check out these videos! Watch excerpts from The Last Cargo Cult and get the skinny on Mike Daisey's shows.