Video interview: Mike Daisey, performing at Addison’s Out of the Loop Fringe Fest starting Thursday

by John P. Meyer

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Daisey brings his Great Men of Genius show to WaterTower Theatre -- and follows up with How Theater Failed America on Monday.

We had a chance to talk with Mike Daisey at PegNews World HQ Tuesday night, shortly after he'd arrived in town to begin rehearsals for his upcoming series of performances at the Addison Theatre Center as part of their Out of the Loop Fringe Festival.

Daisey, born and raised in northern Maine before pulling up stakes for Seattle, elbowed his way out of virtual obscurity with the publication of his book, 21 Dog Years: Doing Time @ Amazon.com, about which he has been interviewed on Letterman.

Daisey and his wife/partner Jean-Michele Gregory now reside in New York, but according to Mike, they spend very little time there in comparison to the days they spend on the road -- he preparing to perform (and then, of course, performing), she directing and managing.

I'm not sure what I expected from an interview with Daisey, but what I got was a glimpse of the heartfelt beliefs and philosophical underpinnings of a very thoughtful and obviously intelligent guy.

I've split the video into two parts: The first five-minute segment centers on his experiences working for Jeff Bezos at Amazon.com, and the second (close to 15 minutes) involves his vision for Great Men of Genius -- and a whole lot of other things.

Thrill to Daisey's characterization of P.T. Barnum, Bertolt Brecht, Nikola Tesla, and L. Ron Hubbard (his Great Men of Genius) as megalomaniacal fantasists fueled by "insanity and desire."

Gasp to hear him say: "I find writing unnatural. Because the words are going out to nowhere. I also feel it's easier to be honest performing."

Cringe when he proposes that "all the writers should be required to perform."

Pray for divine enlightenment as he tells us: "I consider myself a reverent atheist."

Run for the hills when I ask him the hackneyed job application questions: "What inspires you? And who is your role model?"

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