The Last Cargo Cult at the Public Theater

The Public Theater will present the New York premiere of The Last Cargo Cult, created and performed by Mike Daisey and directed by Jean-Michele Gregory, opening at the Public's Newman Theater on 7 Dec 2009, following previews from 3 Dec and running through to 13 Dec 2009.

In The Last Cargo Cult, monologist Mike Daisey (If You See Something Say Something) returns to The Public with the story of his journey to a remote South Pacific island whose people worship America and its cargo.

This narrative is woven against an examination of the international financial crisis that gripped the globe at the same moment. Confronting the financial system that dominates our world, Daisey wrestles with the largest questions of what the collapse means, and what it can tell us about our deepest values.

Part adventure story and part memoir, he explores each culture to unearth a human truth between the seemingly primitive and achingly modern.

"Mike Daisey is funny, fearless and brilliant. He's one of those rare performers who is as fascinated by the world around him as he is by the world inside him, and he creates evenings that are delightful and genuinely thought-provoking," said Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. "He's rapidly becoming one of the seminal theater artists of his generation, and we are delighted he has a home at The Public Theater."

The production will feature set design by Peter Ksander and lighting design by Russell H. Champa.

Bios:

Mike Daisey (Creator and Performer) has been called "the master storyteller" and "one of the finest solo performers of his generation" by the New York Times. His monologues include 'If You See Something Say Something,' 'How Theater Failed America,' 'Great Men of Genius,' 'All Stories Are Fiction,' and '21 Dog Years.' His first film, 'Layover,' is being distributed by Lars von Trier's company Zentropa, and a feature film of his monologue 'If You See Something Say Something' will be released next year. His first book, '21 Dog Years: A Cubedweller's Tale,' was published by the Free Press and his second book, a collected anthology of his monologues, will be published by TCG in the fall of 2010.

Jean-michele Gregory (Director) works as a director, editor, and dramaturg, focusing on unscripted, extemporaneous theatrical works that live in the moment they are told. Working primarily with solo artists, for the last decade she has collaborated with monologist Mike Daisey, directing at venues across the globe including the Public Theater.