Imagine trying to review a show that is 3/4ths the way done.  You don't know how it ends.  You can't even judge if it was good or not. 

Or can you?  If it's Mike Daisey's "All The Faces Of The Moon" at Joe's Pub, you would want to review it because it is not traditional theater, it is not traditional storytelling, it is not even a traditional podcast (if there even is such a thing).  This is a kind of performance that has never been done before on this scale:  29 monologues, 29 consecutive nights, interlocking characters, magic, fantasy, history, social commentary and so much more. 

There is an inciting incident of sorts wherein Mike himself sees Death riding on horseback over the East River.  He is marked by Death.  The mark, as far as I can tell so far in the story may not necessarily be marked "for" death or marked "by" death or even a mark "of" death.  There's a bit of fun when he has a character splitting hairs over the delineation between of, for...or was it by?  The complexity of the narrative, dozens of characters, and surreality make it a little hard to follow.  Polite descriptions may use the word "challenging" with a work like this.  If you want a nice, tidy monologue or solo show, this is not for you.   

For anyone familiar with Daisey, every night has many of the elements common in his other work.  Having listening to 13 nights so far, (plus two I saw live) each one has certain touchstones that Daisey manages to punch in with: some ribbing of the audience stuck listening to 'the large man.', some decrying the sad state of theater, some scabrous swipes at hipsters, theatergoers, musicians that play in French bistros and many other niche groups, politics, America, and so far I've counted 5 references to the calamari served at Joe's Pub.

Most impressive of all is an ability to weave the hilarious and biting social commentary into a story whose scope expands night by night.  Someone estimated if it were a novel it might some 1300 pages.  References crop up to a coming change, a shift in our era...something apocalyptic or rapturous? 

Something he seems to be getting better at in the monologues, maybe as he gets to know these characters

One last thing which might not be everyone's preference: Mike Daisey's voice.  I don't mean that it's bad in any way, but I'm finding, especially when listening on podcasts, that it can come on strong or shrill, especially when he'll slip into a cranky voice of some some old lady complaining.  This is a one-man show after all.  However when Alec Baldwin appears in an oblique way, Daisey explains that he will not attempt to imitate Baldwin. 

Signature to Daisey's work, it's essentially the man at a table In a chair, a mic, an apparent one page outline.  The one addition to this simple tableau are the paintings by artist Larissa Tokmakova, each one different per night based on the evening’s monologue. 

Having seen night 12, then deciding to catch up on all previous nights on podcast and then again seeing night 19, I have become fully vested in the gargantuan story.  As Daisey slips into the grim, low voice of a character named Gibbs, the room dead silent, simple sparse lighting I was truly taken away, transported from my seat in a way that only great theater and storytelling can do.     

The fact that it is just a man on a stage with a microphone, isn't even a consideration because, ultimately, you are not merely sitting in the theater, you are in a very strange, complex story that goes on and on.

ALL THE FACES OF THE MOON Created and performed by Mike Daisey; directed by Jean-Michele Gregory; paintings by Larissa Tokmakova; lighting by Jason L. Miller; production supervisor, Christina Lowe; associate artistic director, Mandy Hackett; associate producer, Maria Goyanes; director of Joe’s Pub, Shanta Thake; general manager, Steven Showalter; production executive, Ruth E. Steinberg. Presented by the Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, artistic director; Patrick Willingham, executive director. At Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village, (212) 967-7555, joespub.com. Through Oct. 3. Running time for each: approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.