Over 150 students, professors and community members filed into ATS to see Bob Weick perform Howard Zinn’s one-man show, Marx in Soho, on Monday, Sept. 28. Weick has been performing this play for 10 years and has staged over 250 productions.

The hour-long production conveys information about the life of Karl Marx, philosopher and sociologist of the nineteenth century, as told by Marx himself.  The play is set in monologue format, with an active Marx conveying his life story and the reasons behind his writings, all the while educating the audience on complicated Marxist political concepts.

During the course of the production, several controversial aspects of present-day America were brought up and interpreted by the nineteenth century revolutionary communist.  The play addressed poverty, working conditions, the inequalities of American society, technology and crime and punishment with lines such as these:

“[Americans] have motorcars, cell phones, flying machines…and 1,000 potions to make you smell good…and you have people sleeping on the streets.”

“All those screens with all those pictures…you people see so much and know so little.”

“You don’t hang people anymore…you only gas them…or inject poison into their veins…or burn them electrically…that’s much more civilized.”

This event was hosted by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and co-sponsored by the Departments of Sociology and Economics. According to Nick Botti ’16, student supervisor of the Clarke Forum, Marx in Soho was brought to campus by a decision made by both the Clarke Forum’s faculty and student committees. 

“I think it went really well,” said Julia Mercer ’18, student project manager for the Clarke Forum.  “The event was a big success.”

“It was very interesting to get to learn Marx’s personal life since I previously hadn’t known much about it,” said Claire Maloney ’19 in reaction to the play.  “I also thought it gave a good perspective and brought thought to what Marx would think about society today.”

Other information and future events to be hosted by the Clarke Forum can be found at www.clarkeforum.org.