One of our favorite historians is Howard Zinn. Alongside our copy of A People's History of the United States is Zinn's play "Marx in Soho". The play portrays the return of Marx a century after his death. Stuck in an afterlife where intellectuals, artists, and radicals are sent (sounds awesome!) Marx is given permission to return to Soho London to have his say. A bureaucratic mix-up sends him to Soho in New York, where he discovers the joy of shoe shopping at Otto Tootsie Plohound. Psych!
The audience gets a glimpse at the lesser known Marx: the scholar, the immigrant, the family man. Zinn dares to ask the question "Was Marx a Marxist?", resurrecting the controversial figure while embracing democracy. He will convince you that Marx is not dead and that his critique of capitalism remains relevant today...but in sharp-tongued, humorous narrative.
The play will hit New York this weekend, the production will benefit Autonomedia, "a small press in Brooklyn publishing books and electronic media in the areas of radical politics and history, critical theory, media, and the arts."
Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 // 8 pm // Brecht Forum [451 West Street (between Bank and Bethune] // $10 - $25 (free book with $25 ticket)
