From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks &To Begin the World Over Again: the Life of Thomas Paine,
Written and Performed by Ian Ruskin
Ian has worked extensively in theatre, television and film in England and Los Angeles. His life-long interest in social justice led him to found The Harry Bridges Project in 2000. He has gone on to produce, write and narrate two radio documentaries and the one-man play From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks that premiered at the University of Washington Summer Arts Festival in 2001. He has subsequently performed the play over 250 times to 50,000 + people. He has produced four documentary films including, in association with Suzanne Thompson, the film version of From Wharf Rats to Lords and the Docks, directed by Haskell Wexler. It has aired nationwide on PBS for four years, making the film available to 150 million Americans. To Begin the World Over Again: the Life of Thomas Paine, written with a COLA Fellowship, premiered on opening night of Grand Performances in Los Angeles and has been performed 70+ times to date. The film version of a live performance, also directed by Haskell Wexler, has aired for two years on PBS. He has completed his latest play Magic and Lightning: into the Mind of Nikola Tesla and the first two performances were at Theatre West, Los Angeles and The American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. In addition to the performances listed below, Ian has performed the Bridges and Paine plays over 60 times at Los Angeles Community Colleges, including East LA, Harbor, LA Valley, Cerritos, El Camino and Pierce Colleges. These performances were funded by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Dolores Huerta Labor Institute. He has also performed the Bridges play at numerous California Federation of Teachers Conferences and Meetings.
To Begin the World Over Again: the Life of Thomas Paine
Select Listing from 150+ Performances
Government
Library of Congress, Washington D.C. (screening)
Academic
Harvard Law School, Cambridge
Organization of American Historians Annual Meeting
UCLA in association with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
University of Oregon & Willamette University, Salem
University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
University of Washington
Organizations
Thomas Paine International Historical Center Inaugural Symposium
American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia
Daughters of the American Revolution
California Nurses Association, San Francisco
Public
Boston Central Library in Copley Square
Faneuil Hall, Boston
Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, New York
Grand Performances, Los Angeles (Opening Night)
The Thomas Paine Society , Pasadena (multiple)
Theatre West, Los Angeles
San Francisco Main Library
Lillian Theatre, Hollywood (multiple)
Electric Lodge, Venice (multiple)
International
Conway Hall, London (twice)
Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London
England
British Association of American Studies, University of Sussex
Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge
Thetford Grammar School, Thetford (Paine’s school)
Benjamin Franklin House, London
American School in London
Scotland
The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh
Byre Theatre, University of St. Andrews
Ireland
Kilkea Castle, County Kildare (twice)
France
University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris
Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve, Paris
British Council, Paris
Lycée Franco-Allemand, Buc (near Versailles) Twice
From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks
Select Listing from 400+ Performances
Government
The English Houses of Parliament, London
The Scottish Houses of Parliament, Edinburgh
Academic
Organization of American Historians Annual Meeting, Seattle
Harvard Law School, Boston
Cornell University, Ithaca
California Teachers Association (multiple)
California Federation of Teachers (multiple)
University of Washington, Seattle (multiple)
CUNY: The Murphy Institute, New York
Organizations
AFL-CIO Quadrennial Convention, Los Angeles
Labor and Employment Relations Association Annual Meeting, Seattle
Labor Communications Conference, AFL-CIO Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
American Library Association
Center for Collaborative Solutions Conference
The Food and Drug Council Conference
Masters Mates and Pilots Association
ILWU International Convention, Portland
Public
Warner Grand Theater, San Pedro (multiple)
Grand Performances, Los Angeles
Lillian Theatre, Hollywood
Electric Lodge, Venice
Theatre West, Los Angeles
San Francisco Museum and Historical Society
San Francisco Main Library
UNIONS
ILWU Leadership Education and Development Institute
AFL-CIO Quadrennial Convention
International Longshore and Warehouse Union (multiple)
International Organization of Masters Mates and Pilots
United Food & Commercial Workers (multiple)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (multiple)
Alaska AFL-CIO Biennial Convention
California Nurses Association
American Federation of State & County Municipal Employees
Service Employees International Union
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists
American Federation of Musicians
International
ILWU Canada Locals 500 and 502 Conferences, Vancouver, Canada (multiple)
ILWU Canada Young Workers Conference, Vancouver, Canada (multiple)
New Theatre, Sydney, Australia
Maritime Union of Australia, Melbourne
The Casa, Liverpool, England
