The Midwest premiere of a Howard Zinn play about legendary labor agitator, feminist and revolutionary Emma Goldman opens Aug. 20 in St. Paul.

Carin Bratlie, artistic director of Theatre Pro Rata, said an acquaintance recently gave her a copy of the script, which Zinn converted to book form in 2002. ?When I read it ? especially the speech at the end about patriotism ? I said, ?We have to do this play. And we have to do it now, before the election.?

?It?s a great story about Emma and her rights,? Bratlie said. In addition, the time period of the script ? 1892-1917 ? ?is very reflective of the current socio-political climate,? she said.

Goldman was a complex political and social activist, at times a proponent of socialism and anarchy. She was always outspoken in her views ? whether supporting unionization and birth control, or challenging capitalism and the ruling class, to name a few. She was deported in 1917 because she opposed World War I.

Theatre Pro Rata, which began at the Minneapolis Fringe Festival, has branched out with the goal of becoming a small Equity ? that is, union ? company, Bratlie said. The actor-focused company pays everybody the same amount, and shares profits equally among company members, she said.

Zinn is best-known as author of ?A People?s History of the United States.?

The basics
What: ?Emma?
Where: Loading Dock Theater, 509 Sibley St., St. Paul
When: Aug. 20-Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m Sundays.
How much: $15, with a $5 discount for groups of 10 or more, $3 discount for card-carrying members of unions and other selected organizations
What else: There will be a special ?Pay What You Can? performance at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30.

For more information
Call 612-874-9321 or go to www.theaterprorata.com

Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org