She was an internationally known provocateur, deported from the United States in 1919, but Emma Goldman had her moments. When she wasn’t raising the blood pressure of the Establishment, she was, apparently, carrying on a torrid love affair with Dr. Ben Reitman, and the story of that affair will be seen in New York this summer.

“Love, Ben Love, Emma,” which  was tested by Lucille Lortel at The White Barn Theatre in Connecticut and is headed for New York, tells of the love affair of avant-garde free- love advocate Emma Goldman and Dr. Ben Reitman, the ramshackle “King of the Hobos” who shared her life and bed for over a decade.

“Love, Ben Love, Emma” quotes the unpublished erotic love letters from Emma, the ferocious free lover, to Ben, the hobo doctor, showing that Goldman liked to talk dirty to her lover. Take a peek, it’s scandalous.

In the early 20th century, Dr. Ben Reitman falls madly in love with Emma Goldman and gives up his practice to take up Emma’s causes. As they travel across America, they are celebrated, hounded, ridiculed and persecuted for their beliefs. On the road they share an intense passion, and an idealized concept of what the world could be without restrictive laws and wars. When America enters World War I, Emma and Ben face the challenge that changes their lives forever.

Lynn Rogoff is an Emmy-award winning writer and director for film, television, theatre and games. She won a fellowship from the Writers Guild of America and acquired the rights to the couple’s letters, which became “Love, Ben Love, Emma.” The play, adapted from its original screenplay, will have its New York premiere for the twentieth anniversary of Studio Tisch at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.  Joy Son will be writing original music,  Sal Taglarino will be designing the set and Ms. Rogoff will be directing.

You can only catch this titillating drama as a workshop production for one weekend at NYU’s Shubert Theatre. Performances are August 7th at 8pm, August 8th at 2 and 8 pm, August 9th at 8 pm. For reservations please call 212-998-1921. For more information and to make e-reservations visit www.amerikids.com/theatre.htm. Press contact: Casey Killoran.

With:

Bruce Cobb – ‘70
Catherine Hyland – ‘78
Abigail Rose Solomon – ‘00
Casey Killoran – ‘12
Jan Leyssens
Jay Gaussoin
Daniel Genalo
Robert Mobley
Alexandra Phillips

Friday, August 7 2009, 8 PM
Saturday, August 8, 2 PM & 8 PM
Sunday , August 9, 5 PM