The STory

"Weick captured Marx and his ideas with the proper strength and subtlety, moving very effectively through a range of moods: humorous, angry, poignant."  

Howard Zinn - social historian, author (A People's History of the United States) and playwright (Marx in Soho).

Marx in Soho has been touring the United States in the last 14 years, and to wide critical and audience acclaim; its power and success is a testament to the power of people speaking to each other across the generations.

The original voice in the play is, of course, Karl Marx himself.  In Zinn's play, Marx responds to society and our relationships today - at times with fierce emotion, at times more dispassionately. And throughout the play, it is Zinn's own original voice and its interplay with the voice of Marx that engages the audience with perennial and important social and political themes.   

The 2018 touring production is also the story of years of dialogue, conversation, and collaboration between the whole creative team – the historian and playwright, Howard Zinn; the director and producer John Doyle; and the actor and activist Bob Weick.

Doyle and Weick wanted to produce a political and deeply human drama that would resonate with contemporary audiences in the wake of the start of the Iraq war. They requested the script from Howard Zinn. Rehearsals started in early 2004. As soon as he saw videos from the rehearsal Zinn responded enthusiastically and gave a green light to the production.

Marx in Soho was first produced by Iron Age Theatre at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in September 2004. With Zinn's encouragement, Weick began a national tour. and the two men remained in touch over the years, until Zinn’s passing in 2010. .

 Zinn passed away only days before a performance in Santa Monica. What was originally scheduled as a performance of Marx in Soho, became a large memorial event for the deeply admired social historian.

Weick’s experience with the play has augmented his personal activism; he has been dedicated to keeping the passionate legacies of Marx and Zinn alive through his performances of Marx in Soho.

He has performed for students in large venues (500+) at major universities and in small classrooms; beyond the campus, he has performed in many venues across the United States.

He particularly enjoys continuing the tradition of post-performance conversation with the audience continues today; it is always rich and rewarding.

Now, as the 200th anniversary of Marx birth approaches in 2018, Weick is making the final arrangements for a tour that will bring the drama and the wisdom of Marx in Soho to more new audiences in the United States, the UK, and Europe.

What would Karl Marx say if he came back to present day America? 

Well, hear for yourself! 

Marx is back!

The national and international college and community tour enters its 14th season.