Free Performances Bring Harry Bridges & Thomas Paine to Life

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)The story of “one of the most important labor leaders of the 20th century” comes to vivid life this Sunday in a free one-man performance by Ian Ruskin. In “From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Dock: The Life and Times of Harry Bridges,” Ruskin portrays the passion and struggles of American union leader and co-founder of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Harry Bridges. “There were times when I forgot this was someone other than Harry Bridges speaking,” wrote historian and activist Howard Zinn. “It is a valuable piece of working-class history, presented colorfully and intelligently.” And on Monday night Ruskin takes on the role of another revolutionary, Common Sense author Thomas Paine in “To Begin the World Over Again: The Life of Thomas Paine.” Both free performances – hosted by the International Organization of Masters, Mates, & Pilots – will be held at the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies in Linthicum, MD.