Berkeley Rep Blog
Category archive: Our shows
Conceptual Cargo construction
posted by Kate Vangeloff on Thu, Feb 10, 2011
in Our shows , Prop shop , Scene shop
So just how did they build the set for The Last Cargo Cult? How does it stay together? Where do the boxes go while Steve Jobs is being performed? Who owns the contents of the "iPig" box?
Excellent questions, my friends.
Being unsure myself, I felt it was time to do some set-inspired sleuthing. I began my inspection by performing some very scientific data-gathering methods such as "sneaking into the theatre" and "gently poking the boxes to see what would happen."
(I think it is important to note at this point that this research is confidential, so please don't disclose my methods to Mike Daisey or Jean-Michele Gregory...or stage management...or anyone for that matter.)
Not much knowledge was gleaned from this first attempt other than the fact that sneaking into a theatre and gently poking cardboard boxes makes one feel like a bit of an idiot, so I decided to dig deeper. I had heard a whisper of a rumor that although I had previously enjoyed imagining that the Cargo Cult boxes spent their week off sight-seeing, carousing, and generally making merry, that the boxes were actually kept inside the now somewhat-abandoned prop shop at Addison Street. I accosted a hapless facilities crew member and convinced them to let me into the prop shop which, I might add, was ominously locked.
On the breathless verge of discovery, I slowly opened the heavy, creaking door. After a tense moment fumbling to find the light switch -- behold! Six mounds of corrugated consumerism materialized before my eyes along with the truth I was so desperately seeking. Why hadn't I seen it before? But of course: Box Tetris!
Let me explain. Each individual box is part of one of six larger units of boxes fastened together with hot glue. These “playing pieces” are stacked on large crates to add height and fitted together in a Tetris-like fashion to create the illusion of the mountain of materialism looming over Mike Daisey.
Case closed.
Now if I could only figure out who owns the iPig and why...
Photo of Mike Daisey in The Last Cargo Cult by kevinberne.com.
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Show in a box
posted by Amy Bobeda on Tue, Feb 8, 2011
in Costume shop , General theatre talk , Our shows
Many things come in boxes -- presents, shoes, refrigerators, a man named Jack, and (more often than not due to our current economic state) plays. I’m not quite sure who coined the term “show in a box,” but when Berkeley Rep does a coproduction (Compulsion, and the upcoming Ruined), remounts an old production (The Arabian Nights), or takes on a travelling show (The Great Game: Afghanistan) we send and receive the show literally “in a box”.
Receiving shows in a box is a little like Christmas when you think you know what your mother bought you, but you’re not quite sure. You’re nervous that it’s not quite the right thing, or was too expensive. You worry that Santa broke it as he tossed it down the chimney. However, you’re ecstatic to open the box.
Like any other production, shows in a box require some preparation. The marketing department plans the cocktail menu and produces the signage. The electrics department receives the light plots in advance so they can efficiently hang the lights. The production departments pour over paperwork from the shows’ previous locations (in the case of Ruined we have had many conversations with the Huntington Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse in preparation for the show’s arrival), but mostly, we wait with baited breath for the truck of boxes to arrive.
In the costume department, we receive giant wardrobe boxes full of clothing, and we begin to play the “who wears what” game. The advantage to a show in a box is that usually the same actors travel with the show and help us get up to speed while we help them settle into a new town.
Sometimes things arrive broken. Maybe a pair of socks is lost in transit. Perhaps the scenery needs some touch-ups from the paints department. Often staging evolves from one theatre to another.
While the show in a box isn’t quite as exciting as building a show from scratch, there is something magical about being one of the legs on a play’s journey.
One of the costume boxes for The Arabian Nights.
Check out costume fellow Amy Bobeda's blog.
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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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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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"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.
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The Last Cargo Cult opens tonight
posted by Karen McKevitt on Wed, Jan 12, 2011
in Our shows
Mike Daisey’s critically acclaimed monologue, The Last Cargo Cult, opens tonight! By the way, do y’all know what a cargo cult is? No, it’s not the worship of a certain type of pants -- but that’s almost close. Cargo cults had been around for a while, but increased during World War II, when tribes in the South Pacific witnessed cargo arriving to Japanese and American military bases. The shipment of goods ended with the war, but tribal members engaged in ritualistic practices in hopes of attracting more deliveries.
In The Last Cargo Cult, Mike visits a remote island in the South Pacific whose inhabitants worship America and its goods at the base of an erupting volcano. He witnesses their rituals as the world’s financial system collapses, spurring a soul-searching assessment of what money means and who is paying the price.
Here’s an enthusiastic response from Deborah Dashow Ruth, who attended Tuesday night’s preview:
“We didn't realize that tonight was Mike Daisey's first performance of The Last Cargo Cult -- and it was spectacular! An amazing tour de force. Totally unexpected, outrageous, and brilliant. He has the most amazing repertoire of facial expressions and an incredible range of voice tones. He just sits there, at that table, bringing an entirely different world to life from his chair.
As soon as the lights went down, I leaped to my feet for a standing ovation -- but at least 2/3 of the audience did so as well.
We're going to get tickets for The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, so we'll get to spend another two hours in the presence of this storytelling genius.”
Great seats for this week’s performances are still available. Buy yours now!
Mike has performed The Last Cargo Cult all over the country. Here's more praise:
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Who's this Mike Daisey guy, anyway? Find out!
posted by Karen McKevitt on Mon, Jan 10, 2011
in Our shows
Want to read Mike Daisey's backstory? Check out this feature. Here's a snippet:
"His stories meander beautifully through one thing or another, mesmerizing his audience into believing they are on a quiet Sunday drive through a remarkable mind, when they suddenly find themselves on a wild roller coaster trip leading quite powerfully to the point Daisey wants to make."
The Last Cargo Cult starts previews on Tuesday and opens on Wednesday! Ready to join the cult?
Buy tickets now!
Photo of Mike Daisey by Kristopher Skinner.