PlayMakers begins with one-man anecdotal show

Mike Daisey journeyed to a remote South Pacific island and lived in a society that does not use currency.

He brought those experiences back to the U.S. and crafted a one-man show around them. His show “The Last Cargo Cult” opens tonight.

“It’s fundamentally about money and how money interweaves with everything we do,” Daisey said.

The show is PlayMakers Repertory Company’s first performance of the season. It runs through Sept. 20 at Kenan Theatre in the Center for Dramatic Art.

In the work, Daisey entwines anecdotes from his life among a people whose religion beatifies America as a source of prosperity, with an examination of the global financial crisis.

Despite the serious nature, Daisey approaches the scenes with humor.

“Humorless work rarely leads to catharsis or enlightenment,” he said.

Daisey said he does not aim to promote any particular message or viewpoint.

 He said he tries to humanize problems that might not otherwise seem accessible.

Unlike most monologists, Daisey performs “The Last Cargo Cult” without a script, and he does not rehearse the performance without an audience.

Only a Spartan set of notes accompanies Daisey on stage

And his performances — particularly in their early stages, such as tonight’s one-man show — transform significantly with each iteration.

Daisey said he hopes his performances provoke audiences to question the social and political systems they live in and to imagine alternatives.

Raised in Maine, Daisey was first exposed to storytelling as a child.

Trained both as a traditional theater actor and as a writer, Daisey performs monologues that dissolve the boundaries between the audience and the performer.

This show is the first performance in the year’s PRC2 series. The series is hosted on a smaller stage than traditional PlayMakers shows and places a greater emphasis on interacting with the community.

The aim of PRC2 is to “make the walls of the theater more porous,” said Joseph Haj, producing artistic director of PlayMakers.

After each performance, the audience will be invited to participate in a discussion led by Daisey and other local artists and thinkers.

Tickets for “The Last Cargo Cult” are available at the box office in the lobby of the Center for Dramatic Art.

IF?YOU?GO
Time: 8 p.m. today through Sunday; 2 p.m. Sunday
Location: Kenan Theatre in the Center for Dramatic Art
Info: www.playmakersrep.org

Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.