This Greenville Journal article by Paul Hyde was originally published on May 31st,, 2024. Photo: Will Crooks
Concluding its 50th season, The Warehouse Theatre is staging “Assassins,” Stephen Sondheim’s gritty 1990 exploration of the killers and would-be killers of presidents.
The musical’s assassins include familiar names such as Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth, and perhaps lesser-known ones like Charles Guiteau (assassin of President James Garfield) and Leon Czolgosz (assassin of President William McKinley).
In songs by Sondheim and dialogue by John Weidman, the assassins reflect on American ideals, including the promises and limits of the American Dream.
“For our 50th anniversary, I wanted to end the season with a show that feels undeniably ‘The Warehouse,’” said Mike Sablone, The Warehouse’s producing artistic director. “A darkly funny, actor-driven musical written by the greatest composer of our lifetime is right up our alley. It’s smart, it’s bold, it’s clever and it’s a rare chance to see one of Sondheim’s lesser-known masterpieces.”
Andrew Scoville, a New York-based director, returns to The Warehouse Theatre to stage the show, which includes live music. Scoville, a veteran stage director whose work includes the recent Tony-nominated “Here Lies Love,” previously directed The Warehouse’s hits “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” (2018) and “Hedwig and the Angry Itch” (2020).
‘Dark comedy’
The Greenville Journal recently discussed the show with Scoville by email.
Greenville Journal: What do you love about “Assassins”?
Andrew Scoville: I love the dark comedy of it. And I love that it is a musical with a lot of scenes between the songs. There is a lot to explore there as a director and for the performers. I also think the music is just extraordinary — Sondheim is exceptional at revealing character through music, so it has been particularly exciting to see that aspect come to life. What I don’t necessarily love, but feel is important, is how relevant the show still feels as it relates to those who feel left behind in the systems of America and how that feeling of abandonment can lead to some very bad choices.
Journal: What do you hope audiences will take away from this production?
Scoville: I hope the audience leaves thinking about democracy and the idea of the American dream. The show is a Trojan horse in a lot of ways. It lures you in with the comedy, the powerful music, and the beautifully rendered, very human characters. But beneath it all, something darker and more sinister is brewing, and I hope the audience takes times to really sit in the contradictions that the show lives between.
Journal: Are there any particular challenges in staging this show?
Scoville: It’s Sondheim, so the music is always a particular challenge, but also so satisfying when it clicks. The show also has a lot of depictions of guns — so that is another challenge, but we have been coming up with some exciting theatrical solutions to tell our story. You know, it’s a lot of fun to work on, but it also touches on some challenging themes so we’ve been working really hard in the room to approach and embody these characters and stories with as much joy and support for each other as we can. The cast and crew have been really rising to that particular challenge and it’s a testament to the talent that The Warehouse Theatre attracts.
Journal: What attracted you to this production?
Scoville: Working at The Warehouse Theatre again was definitely a draw for me. I love the community that has been fostered here. I also always appreciate how the shows that are selected to be produced at The Warehouse Theatre push the envelope in exciting and relevant ways — this is certainly true of “Assassins.”
Theatergoers should note the show includes mature language and themes, and simulated gun violence.
