Assassins [Paperback]

Stephen Sondheim (Author), John Weidman (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Theatre Communications Group (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559360380
• ISBN-13: 978-1559360388
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Startling and thought-provoking, July 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Assassins (Paperback)

This is a fine example of 20th century writing which focuses on issues that most people would rather not think about. How many of us have sat through history class and learned that John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln and never even thought about why? What is most surprising about the play (and music) is that you really begin to understand why these people thought they should try to kill the President. Unfortunately this musical will go down as one of the most seldom performed because of it's subject matter and the fact that people will believe it promotes the assasins. Sondheim and Weidman seem to make quite a statement about gun possesion as well as the insanity of the perpetrators. Samuel Byck's monologue alone is enough reason to buy this book and I plan to use it in an audition if given the chance.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As-sass-i-nate The Positive, March 18, 2000

By 

Joel D. Roster (The United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assassins (Paperback)

Upon a simple coincidence did I perchance to read a play that altered my perception of musical theatre forever. For years Stephen Sondheim has directed himself toward the darker side of the theatrical spectrum (i.e. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Pacific Overtures) and when I picked up this play, I had very low expectations. After all, how can one sing and dance after shooting a president? Apparently very easily, and quite profoundly. Immediately after receiving this masterpiece of literature I purchased the CD. Folllowing this, I tried to get my high school to produce it, and I would direct, as I had a vision in my mind (the words and visual imagery are both so powerful, one can't help but imagine it). Three and a half years of trying to persuade the district to allow my madness to exist, a sister high school allowed me, this spring of 2000, to direct the final sequence for a play of one-acts. Needless to say, the thrill of watching an audience sit through one of the most disturbing scenes ever wirtten was too good an experience to pass up. It goes up in a few weeks (as of March 18, 2000), and it should knock the socks off such a conservative community as mine... The play is a marvel of the spoken word, and one can't help but wonder: Does everybody have the right to be happy? Apparently so--you can buy this book, after all.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life's a Byck, September 6, 2001

By 

An Amazon Guy (Boston, MA, United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assassins (Paperback)

Well, I was not very well aquainted with Sondheim, though I had heard of him. Then I was fortunate enough to be cast as Sam Byck in a production of Assassins. I have to say, the show was an experience like I can only hope to have ever again. Weidman's writing brings to life thoroughly disturbed characters in a way the audience can relate to. It shows us the world of a psychopath- looking out from the inside. My first thought was to question whether I could do justice to the material. The incredible intensity of the scenes and the forceful emotion of the songs is nearly overwhelming. From the actor's point of view, I can say only that a sense of desparation is omnipresent, even in the comedy, and that there is the feeling of a great injustice, and perhaps an epiphany that never quite came. I encourage anyone who can to try and acquire a copy of the London production( I don't know if there are any official ones, but as any theatre enthusiast knows, there are ALWAYS bootlegs), or of the new production when it becomes available, because of the added song "Something Just Broke". This incredible piece serves as an important... I think the word is catharsis. I remember crying backstage during the first show, because it put a sharp point on the events of the previous scene, where Oswald takes his shot. The play itself also brings into focus the background of the assassins, and those lesser-known souls who tried and failed( like Byck). While it won't appeal to everyone, it is definitely worth looking into for Sondheim lovers and US History buffs. And serious performers will find the songs and text rich with meaning. I recommend this show, libretto and music, to anyone with an open mind, or a love of art.