Award-winning playwright Neal Bell recently saw the just-released, controversial show The Trump Card, as directed by Duke Theater Studies department chair Jeff Storer for regional playhouse Manbites Dog Theater. Created by master storyteller Mike Daisey, The Trump Card dramatically analyzes one of America’s biggest mysteries. Fresh from seeing the opening performance, here are some of Bell’s thoughts on the show:
“Saw an amazing magic show this weekend - which pulled off the impossible feat of making me think new thoughts about Donald Trump.”
“The show is The Trump Card, by monologist (and sometime liar) Mike Daisey (who's a kind of theatrical version of the film-maker Michael Moore.) Daisey released this script online, as open access - any theater can perform it, for free. He himself is performing the show in LA, where the running time is two-and-a-half hours. Manbites' version is a crisp 90 minutes. And it's riveting. (And I don't even LIKE one-person shows...)”
“Performed by Carl Martin, one of the Triangle's very best actors. Directed with clarity and deceptive simplicity by Manbites' co-founder and Artistic Director Jeff Storer, Mr. Martin is simply phenomenal as he maneuvers all the emotional twists and turns of a script - about How The Hell We Got Here - that is, by turns profane and funny, thought-provoking, and deeply disturbing.”
Ten performances left: see manbitesdogtheater.org for dates.
Theater Studies