Zinn Takes on Terrorism
BU emeritus prof’s play Daughter of Venus runs at BPT
Click on the slide show above to listen to Howard Zinn talk about his play. Download a transcript of the audio here.
Howard Zinn credits the bombing missions he flew as an Air Force bombardier in World War II as part of what shaped his opposition to war and inspired much of his writing — including the play Daughter of Venus, being performed through February 8 at BU’s Boston Playwrights’ Theatre.
Zinn, a historian, a playwright, a social activist, and a BU professor emeritus of political science, wrote Daughter of Venus during the Cold War as a commentary on the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989, Zinn put the play aside, thinking it was no longer relevant.
“But when George Bush declared the war on terrorism, I thought, ‘Idiocy is not over,’” says Zinn. “Terrorism has replaced Communism as the excuse for maintaining an enormous nuclear arsenal and intervening militarily in other countries in the world. So I adapted the play from a Cold War situation to a threat of terrorism situation.”
The play’s cast and crew includes several Boston University alumni, students, and staff, among them director Wesley Savick (GRS’09) and actress Paula Langton (GRS’03), a College of Fine Arts associate professor.
Daughter of Venus is playing Thursdays through Sundays until February 8 at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at 866-811-4111, or one hour before each performance at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre box office.
Robin Berghaus can be reached at berghaus@bu.edu.
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