Mike Daisey's Invincible Summer: Audience Protest, Walkout and Attack

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 3:48am

This is must see and read!!

Video of what happened:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IeMtQ-SZtA

Mike's response to the incident:
http://www.mikedaisey.com/2007/04/night-to-remember.sht

I think Mr. Daisey handled this well.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 7:36am

Given the subject matter, I can see why it might upset some folk. But that kind of reaction is absurd. They came to cause trouble, no question about it.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 10:48am

Yes. It was one rude thing that they walked out like that, but entirely another vile thing that one of them approached him and did that.

Some people get offended and upset at the wrong things. And react even worse. I feel like this story is a snapshot of our country right now.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 10:52am

Walking out would have sufficed in showing their thoughts, but spilling water on his notes was just unbelievable.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 11:31am

It is being said that it was a Christian group. Does he talk about Christians in his show? if so, it seems they would have staged the walk out at that point instead of when he was talking about New York. But in the end, he still benefitted. I suspect they paid to see the show like everyone else!

[jbdc]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 11:56am

Good for him. Such an insane thing, but his recovery and discussion with the remaining audience was great.

[TheHumanTorch]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 12:10pm

what a classy way to handle it...

[jbdc]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 12:19pm

Seriously! With my temper, I'd have cut a b*tch.

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 1:06pm

I saw this piece at the Public's Under the Radar Festival earlier this year. I can't imagine what was offensive about it for so many people to plan buying tickets and then leave and destroy the work.

Totally bizarre. I love Mike Daisey though.

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 10:03pm

Watched the YouTube clip and couldn't believe what I was seeing! The group that was so rude to this performer has no business going to the theatre. Stay home and read the Bible! I'm so sick of these religious zealots. Leave art to those of us who can appreciate it.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 10:18pm

That was very redic. How big is the theater anyway?? As a performer I felt very offended because that is totally rude. No matter what is being done on the stage. I mean they had to know what they were going to see.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 10:26pm

W.T.F.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 10:27pm

Somewhere Lenny Bruce is smiling! I understood this happening forty years ago when no one said "damn" in public, but the F word is hardly out of the ordinary any more. They should have known what they were going to see.

[ahmelie]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 10:34pm

Wow, that's ridiculous. That's awful.

I'd like to see a transcript of the incident, as some of the people leaving said things that I couldn't make out.

Wow. I'm in shock, as a performer I can't imagine anything much worse than that.

[goofy108]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 10:41pm

well, i think to say 'they should have known what they were seeing' is a pointless statement.
its obvious these people came to the show that night with a pre-determined mind of walking out.

im astonished at the levels of rudeness that these people had the nerve to show that night. daisy handled himself very collectively. bravo to him and to his art.

[Miss.Vanessi]

Posted: 4/22/07 at 11:31pm

He handled himself so very well after having to deal with something like that. I just can't comprehend how so many people like this label themselves Christians. It's absolutely mind boggling.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 12:41am

Playbill has a great synopsis and follow up of this story.
PLAYBILL ARTICLE

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 12:53am

I would like to hear the comments made by the people who stayed. You couldn't hear them.

Posted: 4/23/07 at 1:04am

This is a typical bully tactic - maybe they were offended by the language, but to approach the stage and destroy notes - very German National Socialist. I agree that this is a snapshot of where the country is right now.

[toomeytwopiece]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 6:03am

honestly, I think the whole thing was staged by Daisey and th company. It would have been a brillian marketing plan. If he wants to come to NY with his show and build interest beforehand, what a great way to do so, right? Otherwise, who would have known about this production?

It just seemed weird. Plus, ART is right in Cambidge, it's not as though there haven't been more protest-worthy theatrical productions produced at ART and in that area.

I think, if it IS staged, that they did an amazing job!

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 7:08am

toomey, even I am not THAT cynical! I think that there would be a real backlash against Daisey if it was revealed that the walkout/vandalism WERE staged.

But you are so right about the publicity boost Daisey's show has receieved from this. I had not heard a word about it till now.

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 10:27am

I have to be honest, to me, it looked like the whole thing was staged. First of all...does he always make videos of his performances and in very good quality? Second, it seemed like the stage-management (which was good) was on top of things to replace anything that got ruined, right away (as if they new it was coming);third, in the press release, it says that the house lights came up as the audience started to leave..so if the house lights came up just as they were leaving, then to me that seemed stage. If those people walked out first then the house lights came up after they realized what was going on, I could see that, but it seemed like it all happened at the same time.


There were parts that seemed very true (when he was off camera and asking about how they can discuss this), but it was just rude for like 87 people do it at once (or do it one by one or in smaller groups, to not make a distraction). But even if you were a small group, you would have probably still notice people leaving no matter what.

Overall, it just seemed to0 big of a reaction from a group to be true (seemed too staged) so he can get publicity. If I am wrong, then I am wrong and feel bad for what happened.

Oh, yes, and wouldn't have the police or house management be called in for situations like this. I mean come on, they went on the stage and ruined property. It is like someone climbing on the stage (from the house) in another big Broadway show. Some makes sense, some does not.

Updated On: 4/23/07 at 10:27 AM

[WriteInNYC]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 10:59am

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Amen, jrb_actor, I agree. This is what happens when a president insists on binding church and state and sends out the message that anybody with a dissenting opinion is evil and wrong. It's all the more reason for Mike Daisey to keep doing what he does and rising above the narrow view of the so-called Christians who are no better than their Muslim terrorist counterparts.

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 11:00am

I feel that it is one of two scenarios:

1) It was staged by Mike Daisey as suggested by toomey and Dr. Theatre. And BTW -- Dr. T, it mentions is one of the articles that he videotapes all of his shows since he doesn't use a script and each one is different. He wants to have copies in case there is some spontaneous material that he wants to re-use in a later show (of course this could all be part of the ruse).

2) It was a group whose leaders dropped the ball by not researching what they bought tickets to.

From the article Mike Daisey refers to the walk-outs as "teachers and their students" and in the video he mentions that two "high school groups" were attending.

Having organized many an outing as a former high school chorus teacher, it looks like it was a field trip to Boston by an out-of-town religious school. They probably had the option of booking a few shows to attend while there and Invincible Summer was one of the choices. The lead teacher/organizer probably got a cheap group rate to attend that show and so without doing ANY research on the subject matter chose to see it.

When the profanity started, the teachers got uncomfortable and decided to walk out with their students. According to the article, he said that not all of them probably wanted to leave, but once the group started going they all bought into it. Seeing their teachers angry, some of the students thought this was their cue to act like idiots. It is dispicable what that one student decided to do -- in pouring water on his notes -- that was utterly classless.

Mike Daisey should not feel guilty at all for his show and doesn't need to apologize for anything. The people who need to be punished are the teacher who organized the trip and didn't research what shows the group would attend and that moron who poured the water on the notes. The school should send both of them packing.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't research what they are seeing before they buy tickets. It's like these people live in caves and assume every show is family-oriented. The most recent example was this past summer at The Wedding Singer. A woman sitting in the row behind me brought a group of elementary school kids -- at intermission she walked out. She mentioned to me that she had no idea that there would be language and sexual content. Here's a hint -- do some research and you will find that out -- you could even WATCH the MOVIE first.

I have seen school groups walk out of Cabaret, Avenue Q, and others for the same reason. What is sad is that a lot of these groups are chorus/theatre students -- what does that say about the teachers when they don't know anything about the shows they are taking their kids to see?!

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 11:03am

I don't think that was staged at all. The look on his face isn't acting. Couldn't be.

That said, knowing Daisey from his Seattle days, he's going to milk this for every bit of publicity he can.