A Play on History: Howard Zinn's Marx in Soho Comes to Houston

Event Description:

WHAT:   Howard Zinn, professor emeritus of political science at Boston University and author of the bestseller, A People's History of the
United States, and Karl Marx meld in a one-person play Zinn wrote that
conjures Marx's return to life.

WHO:    Marx in Soho by Howard Zinn with Jerry Levy as Karl Marx;
directed by Michael Fox Kennedy

WHEN:   7 p.m., Thursday-Friday, August 16-17, 2007

WHERE:  Havens Center, 1827 W. Alabama, west of Woodhead

BACKGROUND:  A 19th century philosopher, political economist, and
revolutionary,  Marx addressed a wide range of issues but is most famous for his analysis of history, summed up in the opening line of the Communist Manifesto: "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." In explaining his motivation for the play, Zinn writes in the forward "I wanted to show Marx as few people knew him, as a family man, struggling to support his wife and children." Zinn elaborates that he wished to show Marx's involvement in revolutionary politics, not just as a thinker but as a doer. And he wanted to make it clear, in the wake of communism's fall, that Marx's critique of capitalism "remains fundamentally true in our time."
Further, the conceit of the play, Marx's return to life, allows Marx
as channeled by Zinn, an opportunity to defend himself against modern-day critics who claim that his theories led to the atrocities of state capitalist regimes.

Jerry Levy, who teaches sociology at Marlboro College in Vermont and
plays Marx, asserts the one-man show examines not only the political
issues of Marx's day, but also his interpersonal ones with his wife
and daughter. Michael Fox Kennedy directs the play.

COST:   $10 advance tickets; $12 at door. Open to the public. Limited seating.

INFO:    Don Cook  713-705-5594;


Parking and Accessibility

Havens Center is located about 1/4 mile east of Shepherd on W. Alabama
Street, on the south side of the street at 1827. Parking is available
at St Stephens Episcopal Church (on the south side of the street near
Woodhead and Alabama) or in the parking lot directly across the street from Havens Center (on the north side of Alabama). Additional parking is available at the St. Stephens School, Woodhead and Sul Ross.

Havens Center is accessible.

Event Sponsor:
PAA, Harris County Green Party, Intergalactic Artists for Peace

Event Contact Name:
Don Cook

Event Phone Contact Information:
713-705-5595

Event Fee:
$10 advance; $12 door