Assassins

By: John Weidman

Based on the lives and actions of nine presidential assassins, Assassins delves into the often disregarded gray areas of being an American.  Inspired by early Americana, this production aimed to portray their stories by focusing on the carnival aspect of the show.  Treating each crime like a freakshow vignette, the concept aimed to place each assassin in a purgatory where they must relive their actions indefinitely.  Mediated by the Proprietor and her troupe of ghostly carnies, each scene navigated varying time periods and settings. The ensemble interacted with overlay pieces depicting the various circumstances of each assassin.  Gray scale stars and stripes were incorporated into each ensemble member’s base costume to emphasize their allegiance to the twisted patriotism of the Proprietor. The pieces they donned to depict each vignette kept a palette of dull reds, whites, and blues, like a torn and tattered american flag.  The assassins themselves were depicted in the clothing worn by their true-life counterparts upon their arrests. All had an article of bright burgundy red to symbolize the blood they had shed. Characteristic details were derived through interviews and personal accounts concerning the real-life assassins.  The direction approached the assassins with a combination of their true to life personalities and their dramatized characteristics demonstrated in the script. As a whole, it was important to portray them as a unified tribe of individualistic, lone-wolf personalities. Co-designed with Holland Downs.