Assassinating Announcement

Ray of Light’s Production of “Assassins”

It must have been over ten years ago that Trav and I saw a brilliant production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Assassins”.  At that point I knew very little about the show and walked in blind.  Now, usually when I go see a show, I like to have thoroughly immersed myself in the cast recording and script.  I like to know the show through and through.  But this time, I knew almost nothing.  Which I think is probably for the best.  Trying to properly explain the plot/premise of this unique show and making it sound appealing is no easy undertaking.  It is better to just go in blind and be dazzled by the bizarre and beautiful musical that it is.  And that is what we did, all of those years ago.  I remember feeling befuddled by the oddity of it all but also by the exquisite creativity of it.  And the actors that played each of the assassins were so skilled and so specific, their artistry consumed me.  I was overwhelmed with the strange bending of the long fingers that of the actor who played Charles Guiteau.  It was so odd and yet so fitting for the character and to this day, I still remember it as a key piece of the show.  From this first viewing of “Assassins”, I fell in love with this odd ball show and knew that I had to do it someday.

In my time doing theatre in California’s Bay Area, after my first blush of love over “Assassins”, there were many shows that made the round many times, “Guys and Dolls”, “Gypsy”, “Chicago”, and many others.  “Assassins” was not one of those shows.  Auditions for this gem only came around once or twice and I was always booked with something else.  My time for playing Squeaky Fromme quietly passed as, I thought, did all my opportunities to be in the show.  So, I added it to my list of shows that went by me and moved on to other juicy roles.  Until, ironically, I moved to Bozeman and endured a pandemic.  I had been so worried that I would never do theatre again not only because my industry shut down for two years but also because I had no idea what my community would be here, so far away from the coast and the big city I knew.  Then I was getting on a plane to New York City and received the audition announcement email.  It was kismet, a show I had desperately wanted to do as the first potential show in over two years.  And like that, I was returning to the stage.  It was perfect.

For those of you reading this post and wondering who the heck are Charles Guiteau and Squeaky Fromme, I shall do my best to explain this show and the characters within.  “Assassins”, as the name might hint at, is a show that assembles the nine people who have attempted to or have successfully assassinated a president and throws them into scenes together, culminating in them being present to convince Lee Harvey Oswald to go through with his assassination of JFK.  See, explaining the premise of the show does not leave anyone overly interested in seeing the show.  And, yet it is a fantastic show.  What Sondheim has crafted brings to light not only these forgotten, damaged people but also the complexity of America and what drives people to do the most dangerous and desperate things.  Not only are John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald, probably the most famous of the presidential assassins but Charles Guiteau, as mentioned above, who successfully assassinated James Garfield.  Guiteau was not only convinced that he should be America’s ambassador to France but that post assassination, the vice president would certainly pardon him.  That was not the case.  Also included in the group of successful assassins, is Leon Czolgosz.  Czolgosz was an anarchist who killed President William McKinley at Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, New York.

But that is only four of the nine. So, who are the unsuccessful folks?  Well, I proudly play one of the less than successful folks and one of the two female assassins.  Sarah Jane Moore attempted to kill President Gerald Ford in San Francisco in 1975.  She was a housewife trying to find her place.  She was married five times, had four children, was part of the Women’s Army Corps, and was even an informant for the FBI.  She only missed hitting the president because she forgot her original gun and had to find a replacement on the spur of the moment.  The .38 she purchased was not what she practiced with and because of this, she missed.  She is scattered, and frustrated, and lonely, and trying to fit in this wild world.  Also in the loser’s camp is Squeaky Fromme, one of the followers of Charles Manson, who also attempted to take Gerald Ford’s life, only 17 days before Moore’s failure.  Before the ladies came Giuseppe Zangara, an Italian immigrant who attempted an assassination of FDR and ended up killing The Mayor of Chicago instead.  Then we have Samuel Byck who intended to kill Richard Nixon by hijacking a commercial jet liner and crashing it into the White House. And finally, John Hinckley whose target was Ronald Reagan in order to gain the attention and love of the teenaged actress Jodie Foster.

Erin Markey, left and Victoria Clark as the women who tried to kill Gerald R. Ford in “Assassins.”

Now if it sounds like this show might be the most depressing of shows ever but, surprisingly, it is not.  I have so enjoyed being in this show.  My challenge during this process is to actually tone the comic relief-ness of my character and make her more true to the actual person.  In my research of Ms. Moore, I have found that she is totally unrepentant and completely insistent that she is very sane.  It is difficult to reconcile this person with the goofy, wacko person who Sondheim has written.  But this is a good challenge!  I am finding that she can’t hit any of her target throughout the show not because she incompetent but because she has gun that she isn’t used to.  I have been able to bring her deep-seated desire to find a place where she fits into the scenes between her and Fromme.  The scenes that paint her as a desperate housewife, when she is much like all the rest of us stay at home mothers (granted the rest of us haven’t tried to kill any presidents), needing direction and community.  And yet, even in finding all of those character points, my scenes remain hilarious and oh so much fun.  I have even activated my asthma during rehearsal because I have been so active and committed to my scenes. 

And now the most exciting part of this process.  Before the pandemic hit, I was given the opportunity at Lucky Penny to direct not one but two shows.  I wasn’t sure I had the skills or experience to jump into those huge shoes, but Taylor believed in me and pushed me into the position.  If I do say so myself, my venturing into this realm was quite successful and whet my appetite for directing.  Now, as a fellow actor you are not supposed to direct fellow actors, it steps on the toes of the director and the fellows’ actors, but I have been so excited about the process of “Assassins” that I haven’t been able to keep my mouth shut.  I am brimming with ideas and now they are to be official.  I have been asked to assistant direct this production.  And I have accepted.  So not only do I get to create a fantastic character, but I also get to help everyone else sculpt and hone a fantastic show.  I can’t think of a better way to come back.