THE HANGOVER REPORT – No one is spared in Mike Daisey’s THE TRUMP CARD, a monologue as seductive as the unlikely Presidential candidate himself

donald-trump-card-mike-daisey-fringeartsOver the last decade or so, Mike Daisey has risen to become one of the preeminent monologists and most provocative storytellers of his generation. Indeed, his thorny The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs sparked significant controversy about the legitimacy of his works as documentary (apparently stretches of the monologue were fabricated). What’s ultimately clear is that Mr. Daisey is first and foremost a theater artist. That is, an artist who has been given dramatic license to enhance the story being told to get to the heart of things in a way that’s enlightening and truthful – if not completely factual, then at the very least in keeping with the spirit of the story. God knows a lot of the so-called journalism out there doesn’t.

The Trump Card marks the fourth show of his I’ve seen, and it finds Mr. Daisey in fine form as a weaver of words. In this latest monologue, he tells the story of that ubiquitous real estate mogul cum politician of the moment, Donald Trump – from his origins (including some background on his father, Fred), to his association with the infamous Roy Cohn, to his shady business tactics, and finally to his unlikely current role as Republican Presidential candidate. Yet for all the Trump-bashing that goes on in the 90-minute piece, Mr. Daisey also concedes that Trump is the consummate performer, perfectly at home being in the moment, without need of a script (despite the incredulous things that comes out of his mouth), and thereby seducing the American people. No one gets off easily in Mr. Daisey’s diatribe; he points a finger right back at the American people – both those on the left, as well as the right – for allowing things to get to the current state of things.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

 

THE TRUMP CARD
Off-Broadway, Play
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
One more performance on August 28

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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