Oct. 6 through 10 Meramec Theatre staged “Assassins,” a Sondheim musical taking an anachronistic journey into the lives and minds of America’s notorious presidential assassins.
Jacob Hight
– Graphic Editor –
Oct. 6 through 10 Meramec Theatre staged “Assassins,” a Sondheim musical taking an anachronistic journey into the lives and minds of America’s notorious presidential assassins.
“I like that it’s Sondheim and so the music is difficult and challenging for the students to learn. It’s not a traditional musical… there’s a good blend of [scenework and music]… that was appealing to me,” said Michelle Rebollo, associate professor at STLCC-Meramec and director of “Assassins.”
The musical doesn’t have a traditional plot line, following a more review-sical format. Though there aren’t any dance numbers, there are electric-chair executions, hangings, and students wielding firearms taking a shot at the commander and chief.
“At times the play feels like a memory because you relive these moments where [the assassins] shoot the president. We are invited into their world by their songs and the proprietor goading them into this fever,” said Rebollo.
The main scene is set on a fair ground; the infamous assassins are collectively propositioned by the fair’s proprietor to take a shot at the President of their era.
“It seemed to be for both Weidman, who wrote the book, and Sondheim that they wanted to know ‘what if?’ They were curious about what if these killers were all together in one place, what would they talk about, what would they say,” said Rebollo.
Just a week before tech rehearsals, it became necessary to find a new actor for the role of Leon Czolgosz, assassin of President William McKinley. Rebollo remembered one of her students from the spring that could read music as well as sing. She sought him out for the role.
“I immediately went to him and checked his availability and thankfully he was willing and able to do it … His process has really been expedited. He had about a week to [learn everything]; he’s been doing fantastic,” said Rebollo.
Jerry Myers, musical director of “Assassins,” sought out Troy Rollen, Meramec student majoring in playing the harmonica, for a harmonica piece included in the show.
“Dr. Myers came up to me and said ‘there’s a harmonica part in the song, but it sounds really weird on the keyboard. I know you’re a harmonica major so how about you do it,” said Rollen, who was not required to audition.
Even an alumnus from Chicago was sought out in the production.
“The hanging effect, where they hang Guiteau at the end of the first act, we actually had an alumnus come in, a guy named John Moore who works for Hall Special Effects, he actually came in and rigged that,” said Darren Thompson, scenic and lighting director of “Assassins.”
Thompson was also part of the design team for the production, including the director, costume designer, and properties master.
“The typical design process is you show the director rough ideas and then that refines to a point where you come together on an actual design. However, that design can’t be implemented until our shop foreman, John Huston, says he can actually construct it,” said Thompson.
Technical elements such as the flying effects, lighting and location of the orchestra pit were all taken into consideration; so was manpower.
“Where we run into our biggest challenge is our time and personnel. This set, as big as it was, we had several volunteers to come in, but our core build crew was only three people,” said Thompson.
For some viewers, fascination may begin to border on wondering if the purpose of the musical is not just to understand these anti-heroes, but to support them.
“It’s important to see the seeds of where these people come from and the injustices that are apparent in our society, but it’s not to condone this. It’s not to say this is what you should do,” said Rebollo.
