New York, Part Two. As implied (in the sense of beating-you-over-the-head-with-a-hammer) in previous entries, I saw Mike Daisey's Off-Broadway one man show, 21 Dog Years: Doing Time @ Amazon.Com, this Saturday at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village, New York City. Quick review: it was an amazing night of entertainment. The most striking element--the tune that you hum as you leave the theater, as it were--is the laughter. This is one funny show. But it's also poignant, and though it doesn't straddle the fine line between comedy and tragedy (the most difficult and highest calling of the playwright, in my opinion), landing squarely on the side of comedy, it'll make you think a hell of a lot more than, say, Shear Madness.

The show chronicles Mike's brief tenure at Amazon.com, where he began as the World's Worst Customer Service Rep and rose to the heights of World's Worst Business Rep, falling in (metaphorical) love with Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos along with the rest of his coworkers. Though one has to figure the events themselves weren't as entertaining as Mike portrays them, we're not paying for the events themselves, and a little fictionalization in the pursuit of entertainment is okay.

For a substantive discussion of the merits of the performance, I'd suggest you check the New York Times in a few weeks. I have no doubt it will be a money-in-the-bank review, unless the critics are even stupider than I think they are. That's not what I'm writing about though; rather, this is a personal appraisal from an old college crony who saw Mike in action and even collaborated with him.

First of all, there's the charisma factor. You may think that when I say, "I wanna be like Mike," I'm talking about Jordan. No. Michael Daisey is the most charismatic person I have ever met. It's some kind of a magic trick. When you see him perform in a piece like this one, where he is playing himself, you will be convinced that he is simply talking to you. Never mind these other people. Mike is just having a conversation with you, albeit one where you're not expected to talk back. On Saturday night's performance, he had us in the palm of his hand from the very first line.

Secondly, the structure. It's a story well told, certainly. But it's also cleverly put together. From story, to an example of Amazon's culture, to love letter, back to story... the same sense that helped him write good poetry and stories in Colby has helped him fashion a very tight script. (I have no doubt that his director and wife, Jean-Michele, also had something to do with this.) There were a few moments in which I saw echoes of his earlier work--notably, his interview for his second job at Amazon, where the interviewer cuts him off and pressures him exactly as the House Committee for Un-American Activities pressured Bertolt Brecht in his (as far as I know) first one-man show, The Inner Life of Bert Brecht. (Of course, for the latter show, the audience itself played the committee; this wouldn't be very practical in a real theater, so an offstage voice filled the role this time around.)

Thirdly, the theme. And here I have to tread carefully, since I have no reason to believe Mike and Jean-Michele won't eventually read this. (You know I love you guys, right?) A major motif that runs through the show is the Bezos seduction--that is, the cult of personality that is built around this Vision of Jeff Bezos, Lord of the Books. Mike communicates with Bezos through a series of (fictional, one hopes) love letters, which follow the arc of a seduction and eventual breakup.

But does Mike know he's writing about himself? Don't forget about that charisma I mentioned. Every person who has met Mike professionally or socially has immediately said, "This guy's got it, whatever 'it' is, and I want to be as close as possible to him." Including me. Everyone! (Except, by her own admission, Jean-Michele, bless her heart--that's probably why they fell in love.) So you see, that cult of Jeff could really be interpreted as a cult of Mike, and perhaps this show is his way of dealing with that; of preparing himself for the eventual possibility that the bubble will burst, as it always does.

But then again, maybe not. Mike posted a profit, as it were, on this show, in the form of a book contract, nearly a year ago. Amazon.com? They posted their first profit just last quarter--after at least five years of business. So watch out, Mike. You're going to be a huge success, and the bubble won't burst if you never have one. Congratulations, my friend, on an incredible piece of theater.