Mike Daisey is a monologuist.

It’s a term that can be broken down into the act of telling stories to an audience through the uses of narrative structure and spontaneity. The Mainer-turned-Brooklynite has a table, glass of water and rough story outline available to him to weave together elements of his life, history and surroundings.

"Invincible Summer," currently in a run at the American Repertory Theatre's Zero Arrow in Cambridge, touches upon Daisey's adaptation to New York life, his parents' divorce, the history of NYC's subway system and 9/11 during one tumultuous span of time.

The work is the first of three monologues that the performer, dubbed a "master storyteller" by the New York Times, will perform during a month-long residency at the Zero Arrow. “Invincible Summer" is slated to run until April 29; Daisey will navigate the electricity battle between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, Microsoft, Daisey's hometown and the Monopoly board game during "Monopoly!" in early May; he will then cap his Cambridge residency with a one-night only performance of the brand-new “Tongues Will Wag” on May 8.

Bostonist chatted with Daisey to discuss the art form, the universality of storytelling and just why people have an easy time talking to him after the curtain call.

It seems as if the time period of "Invincible Summer" was one inundated with significance -- geographical, national and personal elements came into play within a compact period of time.

MD: It was quite a summer. It’s funny how the dramatic structure works in our lives -- like, times happen and they become charged with significance for us. You look back afterwards and realize there’s a shape to them. I think the thing about our lives is that everyone has stories, and that’s one of the fascinating things about working in this form. Knowing that unlike most of the forms, absolutely everyone can tell stories. It makes it a really interesting form to work in, because it’s so innately populist.

That medium and understanding creates an immediate connection between audience and performer.

MD: It’s wonderful to work in a form where everyone understands the stakes, understands the form. It makes it challenging to bring enough art to it that people sit up and take notice, but there’s also a wonderful opportunity to have such a rich vocabulary. Everyone -- I’ve known people from up and down the economic spectrum, all kinds of races, creeds, from all over the world -- tells stories. I believe the process of telling stories is actually embedded in our consciousness. The way we actually process the world, that’s narrative.

I think that a big part of the shows is forging that connection and making the connection as clear as possible. Jean-Michele [Gregory], my director [Ed note: and wife], and I spend a lot of time talking about dissolving the boundaries between me and the people in the audience. I think that is a big part of the shows is forging that connection and making the connection as clear as possible. Removing the script is a big part of it, not having the script. The lighting and the choices we make are artistically chosen and refined, but their goal is always to clarify and intensify that connection.

There's often discussion when a traditional theatrical performance breaks through the fourth wall, the intentional separation between the people on stage and off. With a performance style such as this, the fourth wall is non-existent.

MD: That's right. There's no fourth wall. It's very interesting; people ask me sometimes what's the difference between the me that's on stage and the me that they meet in person. Honestly, the difference primarily -- and it takes work to make that authentic -- is that the me on stage is talking to 300 people and the me they meet in person is talking to one person. We really endeavor and try really hard to make that be the case. The only difference is the inherent difference in someone performing. You speak a little larger, louder than you would, sort of use those theatrical tools to communicate to a group, but otherwise to allow there to be no character or affectation between the two places. That becomes the goal, the goal to work toward.

How has it been, from your perspective, working in the highly-adaptive space at the Zero Arrow?

MD: There's a lot of use of its darkness. The walls have this incredible foam on them, and they really evaporate so we have a very, very open space. We use the light very sculpturally -- changes happen in 30, 40-second shifts, so the audience sees a pool that expands and contracts. Because the words might change each night, there are emotional and physical cues. It's been a wonderful space that shifts with us.

Is there a sense of anticipation or nerves that comes with preparing to present a new work, such as "Tongues Will Wag?"

MD: It's terrifying and kind of heartbreaking, but in the best sense of the word. I start to feel pregnant with the piece, about to send it out into the world. I'm excited that we'll be able to do so here.

So let's say you're performing tonight.

MD: Yes, let's!

You perform, house lights come back on and folks are leaving the theatre and see you. Are they likely to approach you, to feel as if they can share anecdotes with you because you've already discussed your life with them? If so, how do you handle that?

MD: Yes, they approach me a lot. Talking to a group like that, people feel that they know me quite well. In fact, they do know me, to the extent of the story. I think of it as an intimacy gap: they know me, but I don't know anything about them.

Many -- I'd say most -- people handle the intimacy gap well and that's great. I'm really interested in stories from people. But there are people who impinge on my space, rail with me. It comes with the territory and is the exception.

"Invincible Summer" will run through April 29, followed by "Monopoly!" May 1-6 and "Tongues Will Wag" May 8. For information on tickets and showtimes, visit the ART website. For more information on Mike Daisey -- who also happens to be a blogger -- visit his official website. Photo provided by ART.