Mike Daisey's "The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs": A PuSh+ Event

A friendly public performance announcement in my capacity as Fundraising Committee Chair of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival Society...

So maybe you missed out on those Cirque de Soleil tickets. Or just found them insanely expensive. Consider the following performance option instead:

Mike Daisey's The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs

Thursday, September 2nd, 7 pm (doors open at 6 pm)

VanCity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street

Directed by Jean-Michele Gregory

Tickets: $40, available online from the VIFF Box Office: click here to purchase

Mike Daisey is a celebrated solo performer, monologist, and social commentator in the tradition of Spalding Gray. He is especially well-known for his satirical reflections on corporate American culture, from Amazon (21 Dog Years), to Microsoft and Wal-Mart (Monopoly), and now, in this latest show, Apple. Here's an excerpt from the press release that PuSh Communications Manager Kara Gibbs has circulated:

Mike Daisey reveals the fascinating story of Apple CEO Steve Jobs--a real-life Willy Wonka whose deep obsessions have shaped our modern age. Tracing his meteoric rise Daisey shows us how, in our lifetime, controlling our interface has become the key to controlling the world itself-and how the digital tools we use every day change us as they tell our stories. Breaking free of the virtual, Daisey follows the trail all the way to China where millions of workers toil in factories to create iPhones and iPods in a world we pretend does not exist. A darkly hilarious tale of pride, beauty, lust, and industrial design, Daisey illuminates the war to control how we see the world, and the human price we are willing to pay for our technology.

The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs is a PuSh+ event (one outside our normal Jan-Feb festival dates) that is also doubling as a fundraiser. To this end, we'll also be raffling off an iPad at the reception following the show, where guests will get a chance to meet Mike and director Jean-Michele Gregory. All proceeds from tickets and raffle go to support programming at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.

For more information, click here.

P.