Extraordinary cast, crew give life to 'Assassins'

The players did a magnificent job in their roles.
By L. Crow
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
It takes a genius to write a successful musical on such a morbid subject as presidential assassinations, and an extraordinary cast and crew to bring it to life. New Castle Playhouse has what it takes, as it continues its production of Sondheim's "Assassins." This absolutely intriguing masterpiece digs into the hearts and souls of nine people who killed, or attempted to kill, a president. The actors hold the audience in their grips as they portray bits and pieces of history from the "other" point of view.
The story is set on a fairground, in the shooting gallery. Eight assassins come together, in a sort of time warp, all with a ghost-like quality, as they relive certain moments of their lives. And though you may think all these people had to be nut cases to do what they did, that isn't particularly true. This play is based on historical fact, and offers not only a huge plate of food for thought, but also a fascinating perspective that most people would never consider. These characters were passionate, hopeless, desperate, and a few definitely were missing some nuts and bolts. The audience is drawn into their dramas. They were sad and pathetic or downright scary. Some actually created a compelling reason to do what they did, and it was easy to empathize. But most of all, they were real humans who wanted the things we all want: love, attention, success and happiness.
Great casting
Director Michael Cavalier is to be commended for getting it all right, and especially for his excellent casting. All of these players were magnificent in their roles, and even looked amazingly like those they portrayed. And the music, unlike some Sondheim, was quite accessible.
By far, the most ditzy character onstage was Sara Jane Moore, who botched her attempt to assassinate President Gerald Ford. She was a loser with a capital "L," having been everything from a nurse to a narc in the FBI. She went through five husbands and had four kids. Becky Clarke portrayed this clumsy klutz, who spent most of her time fumbling to find things at the bottom of her large purse.
Ford's other would-be assassin was also a woman, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme (Dani Conway), a pot-smoking hippie who regarded herself as Charles Manson's girlfriend, and a leader of his cult, with a typical cult mentality, willing to do anything for the man she believed was God.
Two were bona fide nut cases: John Hinckley (Jeffrey Hall), who attempted to kill Reagan, was obsessed with Jodie Foster, trying to get her attention. He still remains in a psychiatric ward. Samuel Byck (Phillip L. Clark), who planned to hijack a 747 to crash into the White House during Nixon's presidency, was frustrated because he didn't get the attention he craved.
Guiseppe Zangara (Paul Angelucci), and Leon Czolgosz (Alan McCreary), found America was not as they thought it should be. Their anger stemmed from feeling hopeless about their lives.
Garfield's assassination
Charles Guiteau (Neal Edman) assassinated Garfield when he was not appointed ambassador to France. He sang his way to the scaffold, and so many wanted to attend, tickets had to be raffled off.
John Wilkes Booth (Robert Hazen), actually had the most compelling reason to do what he did to Lincoln: retaliation for his ruining what Booth believed was a way of life in the south.
John Pecano played Lee Harvey Oswald, in a thought-provoking solution to the conspiracy theory surrounding Kennedy's assassination.
This play is well worth the trip to New Castle. Warning: It contains language some may find offensive.
It continues through March 12: Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.; and Sundays, 3 p.m. (724) 657-9369.