THEATER REVIEW: THE LIFE OF THOMAS PAINE



Thomas Paine (Ian Ruskin) in To Begin the World Over Again: The Life of Thomas Paine.

America's first renegade of funk

By Ed Rampell

Ian Ruskin is the producer-writer-actor of To Begin the World Over Again: The Life of Thomas Paine, a superb intro to and history lesson about the 1776 radical who not only did not own other human beings, but rarely ever had a cent to his name. Although Paine penned runaway bestsellers, he gave up the literary rights to his books like Common Sense and The Rights of Man to make them accessible to the wide masses of readers, in order to spread the gospel of world revolution in the 18^th century.

Ruskin takes to the stage with its sparse set in period costume and wig and proceeds to tell us, largely in Paine’s own words, the life story and philosophy of one of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment, who dared say: “My mind is my own church.” Paine’s historical trajectory was improbable, as he went from being a British-born corset maker to a professional revolutionary in the American colonies and France, where -- as George-Jacques Danton put it before he was guillotined -- Saturn was devouring its own children, and Paine, the man of the people, faced losing his own head. After his misadventures in France, Paine returned to a post-colonial America which had tilted rightwards and had little use for the individual who -- more than almost any other single person -- was responsible for rallying the rabble to defeat King George and his hefty hordes of Hessians and Brits.

Theatergoers are enriched by Ruskin’s reminder and portrayal of the man who put pen to paper and wrote The Age of Reason, and strove mightily to put theory into practice, across two continents. A thoroughgoing internationalist and deist, Paine said: “The world is my country, All mankind are my brethren and to good is my religion.” 

As July 4 approaches To Begin the World Over Again: The Life of Thomas Paine is the perfect play to see.


To Begin the World Over Again: The Life of Thomas Paine runs through June 2 at the Lillian Theatre, 1076 Lillian Way, Hollywood, Ca. 90038.

To Begin the World Over Again: The Life of Thomas Paine then runs through June 30 at the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice, CA 90291. For  info: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/profile/63869.