Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Moved to Tears by Mike Daisey’s ‘The Agony and the Ecstacy of Steve Jobs’

A monologue play by Mike Daisey’s “The Agony and the Ecstacy of Steve Jobs” reportedly struck a sensitive chord in Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who was present at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, on Tuesday evening.

In fact, Steve Wozniak downright started to cry when Daisey told the story of how Chinese workers, who assemble Apple’s iPods and iPhones, live their lives - “a charged ethical dilemma that is literally in our pockets,” as the performer put it.

Daisey got his inspiration from an actual trip to Shenzen, China, where he allegedly learned that some Foxconn workers were no older than 12.

"The shocking things that Mike said which brought me to tears were so because they came as a first-person story,” Wozniak said. “Mike was living the pain of what he was describing as he told it.”

According to the New York Times’ Bay Citizen site, Wozniak added, “I will never be the same after seeing that show.”

Foxconn has been under heavy fire from the media this past year, with multiple suicides recorded at the plants where iDevices are assembled.

The suicides were reportedly the cause of inhumane treatment at the plants, long working hours, sleep depravation, and the fact that workers of a young age were staying far too long away from their loved ones.

Foxconn reportedly worked close with Apple to isolate the cause of the suicides, according to the latter’s Supplier Management report for 2010.

Foxconn even took the media for a tour around its factories’ campus to show to the world that workers were enjoying a free life, with plenty of options to unwind as their shift ended.

Needless to point out, there is still huge debate whether or not Foxconn workers are at least living decent lives in Shenzen, China, let alone fulfilling ones.

Another Apple partner, Wintek, was accused last year with poisoning its own workers after replacing alcohol with a new substance for cleaning iPad screens to move more units in less time, for higher profits.

Apple said in its Supplier Responsibility report that the affected workers had been treated, with some of them already going back to work.

However, some of the workers have not yet recovered, and are asking Apple for compensation for their ongoing medical expenses.