This Saturday Mayworks will showcase Marx in Soho, a one-man play about Karl Marx resurrected in today's New York, defending socialism and reminiscing about his life, his family and his many enemies.
The play was written by well known social activist and historian Howard Zinn, author of the best-selling A People's History of the United States. (Zinn is not generally known for his plays, though he wrote two others, one about American anarchist Emma Goldman).
George MacKenzie will be playing Marx, and not for the first time. MacKenzie won the Outstanding Performance Actoraward for a 2012 performance of the same play during the One Act Play festival in Sydney, Cape Breton. MacKenzie, a Sydney resident, is also the director of the play.
A play written about Marx – not an easy philosopher by any means – and by an author known for his own Marxist sympathies, does raise the spectre of something rather didactic and overly political, something that might make you wish for that final curtain to drop sooner rather than later.
But not so with this piece. Marx in Soho has been performed frequently ever since its creation, and has been well received. In fact, praise for its warmth and humanity is a recurring theme in the reviews.
MacKenzie strongly agrees.
“There are very funny and entertaining segments in Marx in Soho. The play is about Marx’s personal experiences, about his wife, his daughter, his own thoughts – not just his theory,” says MacKenzie. “The play really stresses Marx as the troublemaker he was.”
“Marx after all was an activist, and he was an activist because his wife spurred him on. His wife really cracked the whip to get him off his butt and get involved. Marx is not a stoic, dry and cerebral character: he lives up to his German roots. These were passionate people,” Mackenzie explains.
But it wouldn't be a play about Marx without a political side. Marx comments on Western capitalism as it has evolved since the days of the Communist Manifesto (not much has changed, he says) and includes a drunken visit with Marx's rival, Russian anarchist and frequent sparring partner Michael Bakunin (a visit which never happened but is used by Zinn to accentuate his own sympathies for anarchism).
MacKenzie is happy to finally bring the play to Halifax. Previous efforts during Occupy Nova Scotia days, when Mackenzie hoped for a performance on Parade Square, didn't pan out. MacKenzie singles out the support of Mayworks as crucial in making this longtime dream reality.
