Assassins

All I can say about this play is that it is sheer genius. I was fortunate enough to see the Broadway revival cast act it out in Studio 54, thus can safely say that the play is just as shrewd and clever onstage as it seems in the play. The thing that often repels people from 'Assassins' is firstly its subject matter - assassins and would-be assasins of presidents of the United States - and secondly, the way it handles its subject matter. 'Assassins' neither trivializes nor glorifies its characters: what it does is examine them, and let the audience make the decision as to what prompted them to commit the crimes they did. On stage, the play is chilling - seeing "Squeaky" Fromme carve an 'M' for 'Manson' into her forehead at the end of her number with John Hinckley 'Unworthy of Your Love' does not seem disgusting; it is entrancingly horrific. And this is not even mentioning the song 'How I Saved the President', the fast-paced narrative of Giuseppe Zangara's attempt on the life of President Franklin Roosevelt: it rises to an eerie feverish pitch and ends with a jolt - literally. The singing ceases only when Zangara has been electrocuted.I realize that the above description may seem to portray 'Assassins' as a gruesome horror-trip into history - but really, that is not what it is at all. The rises and falls of emotions in the songs (apparent in the book as well as in the play) are shrewdly placed so that the viewer can't quite bring themself to feel sorry for the assassin, exactly, more fascinated. And this is what 'Assassins' is - a fascinating look at some of the most forbidden American taboo in our country's history. The play jumps on its subject matter with surprising gusto - it does not jump delicately from point to point. It attacks its topics and does not let the audience leave unshaken. I feel as though I should probably mention that reading the book and seeing the play live are two different things. They are both thought-provoking and interesting looks at the various assassins - but a certain emotional element is lost in the text. Not that the book is bland and dry - far from it. However, seeing Charles Guiteau dance his way up to gallows feverishly reciting his poem 'I Am Going to the Lordy' is slightly more morbid than reading it. Highly recommended.

Well, I was not very well aquainted with Sondheim, though I had heard of him. Then I was fortunate enough to be cast as Sam Byck in a production of Assassins. I have to say, the show was an experience like I can only hope to have ever again. Weidman's writing brings to life thoroughly disturbed characters in a way the audience can relate to. It shows us the world of a psychopath- looking out from the inside. My first thought was to question whether I could do justice to the material. The incredible intensity of the scenes and the forceful emotion of the songs is nearly overwhelming. From the actor's point of view, I can say only that a sense of desparation is omnipresent, even in the comedy, and that there is the feeling of a great injustice, and perhaps an epiphany that never quite came. I encourage anyone who can to try and acquire a copy of the London production( I don't know if there are any official ones, but as any theatre enthusiast knows, there are ALWAYS bootlegs), or of the new production when it becomes available, because of the added song "Something Just Broke". This incredible piece serves as an important... I think the word is catharsis. I remember crying backstage during the first show, because it put a sharp point on the events of the previous scene, where Oswald takes his shot. The play itself also brings into focus the background of the assassins, and those lesser-known souls who tried and failed( like Byck). While it won't appeal to everyone, it is definitely worth looking into for Sondheim lovers and US History buffs. And serious performers will find the songs and text rich with meaning. I recommend this show, libretto and music, to anyone with an open mind, or a love of art.

OK, so Sondheim isn't everybody's favourite composer, but this libretto is perhaps the cleverest, most emotive piece of theatre I have ever read. Sondheim and Weidman deal with a very tricky subject with profound intelligence. It's funny, it's sad, it's frightening, it's tense. Sondheim has always been a pioneer in musical theatre and this, I reckon, is his apex. Worth it for the penultimate scene alone! Oh, and even if you don't like Sondheim, get the soundtrack anyway because EACH of those songs is a classic.

Upon a simple coincidence did I perchance to read a play that altered my perception of musical theatre forever. For years Stephen Sondheim has directed himself toward the darker side of the theatrical spectrum (i.e. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Pacific Overtures) and when I picked up this play, I had very low expectations. After all, how can one sing and dance after shooting a president? Apparently very easily, and quite profoundly. Immediately after receiving this masterpiece of literature I purchased the CD. Folllowing this, I tried to get my high school to produce it, and I would direct, as I had a vision in my mind (the words and visual imagery are both so powerful, one can't help but imagine it). Three and a half years of trying to persuade the district to allow my madness to exist, a sister high school allowed me, this spring of 2000, to direct the final sequence for a play of one-acts. Needless to say, the thrill of watching an audience sit through one of the most disturbing scenes ever wirtten was too good an experience to pass up. It goes up in a few weeks (as of March 18, 2000), and it should knock the socks off such a conservative community as mine... The play is a marvel of the spoken word, and one can't help but wonder: Does everybody have the right to be happy? Apparently so--you can buy this book, after all.

This is a fine example of 20th century writing which focuses on issues that most people would rather not think about. How many of us have sat through history class and learned that John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln and never even thought about why? What is most surprising about the play (and music) is that you really begin to understand why these people thought they should try to kill the President. Unfortunately this musical will go down as one of the most seldom performed because of it's subject matter and the fact that people will believe it promotes the assasins. Sondheim and Weidman seem to make quite a statement about gun possesion as well as the insanity of the perpetrators. Samuel Byck's monologue alone is enough reason to buy this book and I plan to use it in an audition if given the chance.