(Thomie
Holtzhausen)
It’sTaboo Productions present The Agony & Ecstasy of Steve Jobs written
by Mike Daisey. It is adapted, directed and performed by Thomie Holtzhausen and
Jason Barber.
This passionate and powerful exposé of the appalling
working conditions in Apple's Foxconn factory in China, the atrocities of
capitalism and the ignorance of consumerism was originally written and
performed by American monologist Mike Daisy.
His commitment to getting “the message across” led to him making the
play available all over the world to be adapted, translated and performed at no
cost.
“Questions are raised about how often we
wish that more things were handmade, highlighting that in modern day there are
more handmade things than there have ever been in the history of the world,”
says Holtzhausen. “Most of those things come from China, where there are
millions of hands – far cheaper than any machinery – to make them.”
Holtzhausen and Barber have reworked and
reframed the play in a South African context with strong emphasis on the
wrong-doings of a western culture driven by money.
“Recent focus has been on whether Daisy
tells an entirely true story, although its essence remains undisputed,” adds
Holtzhausen. “He had fabricated incidents for greater dramatic impact. It's an
accusation that could, of course, be hurled at any number of playwrights who
create fictions out of real experience and events. The imagination is not, and
never should be, bound by the rules of journalism.”
It’sTaboo’s adaptation is presented as a
talk, an awareness campaign stimulating dialogue on what is true and what not. The
production strongly questions the value of man measured in terms of money. To
emphasise this aspect the producers present the production free of charge
(bookings however essential).
The Agony
and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, whether true or not
tells a real good story that doesn't just point the finger at Apple but at all
of us who unthinkingly consume without ever considering how something is made.
The play runs from March 12
to 15 at the Seabrooke’s Theatre (DHS). For bookings email Thomie on itstaboo@outlook.com or visit www.quicket.co.za
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