The Body of Bourne

Lisa Peterson directs this new play by John Belluso. The Body of Bourne, set in early 20th century America, is about a young disabled artist who wielded a powerful pen. Randolph Bourne — essayist, orator, poet, playwright and social critic — revealed through his writings his political viewpoints, his humanistic personality and the tumultuous era during which he lived. Disfigured, Bourne reacted to his disability not with self-pity, but with an exuberant love for beauty and a compassion for humanity. An outspoken critic of World War I, he foresaw further international instability and expressed a longing for a truly cosmopolitan society that would draw its strength from ethnic diversity and political pluralism.