Mike Daisey wrestles with Great Men of Genius

Michael Rice talks with Mike Daisey about the genius of 4 men: L. Ron Hubbard, Nikola Tesla, Bertold Brecht, and P.T. Barnum. Listen in as Mike discusses "genius" and the transformative powers of genius (whether good or bad), psychological engineering as well as artistry.

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Monologuist Mike Daisey presents a dazzling new work: four bio-logues about megalomania and desire constructed from the interleaved life stories of Bertolt Brecht, P.T. Barnum, Nikola Tesla and L. Ron Hubbard. Over four nights Daisey explores the nature of genius and wrestles with the pride, insanity and chauvinism that bind these men together, and reveals how the heights and depths of their gifts have much to teach us about ourselves.

Each evening is unique and can be viewed independently, but all four together form an epic oral accounting of triumph and folly told with Daiseys dark and hilarious intensity. The geniuses are, in order of appearance:
Bertolt Brecht -- playwright, poet, lover of women and certifiable cad who escaped Nazi Germany, sympathized with the Communists, failed in Hollywood, was persecuted by McCarthy, and redefined world theater.

P.T. Barnum -- gifted entrepreneur, showman, raconteur, hoaxster, freakshow and circus promoter who changed the face of nineteenth century America through blatant, shameless lying.

Nikola Tesla -- mad genius, brilliant scientist and visionary who sparred with Thomas Edison and died insane and penniless writing love sonnets to pigeons after bringing the world electricity as we know it.

L. Ron Hubbard -- bigamist, occultist, and charismatic science fiction author-turned-guru who took 1950's popular psychiatry by storm and went on to create the Church of Scientology: the most celebrity-driven and litigious organization on Earth.