BRT Tackles Twisted History Lesson in <i>Assassins</i>

If you like your theater with a bit of a twist, Boiler Room Theatre has an unconventional treat in store with its current production of Assassins. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods) and the script by John Weidman, this off-kilter musical is a far cry from the traditional fare for which BRT is known.

Disturbing from start to finish, Assassins examines a strange fraternity of sorts made up of nine people who either failed or succeeded in assassinating an American president. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, they’re all here – along with a few you may not remember from history class.

The concept itself is bizarre and controversial. After all, by dramatizing the details around this band of murderers and malcontents, their collective quest for glory is being fueled. But Assassins seeks neither to celebrate nor condemn. Instead it puts the American Dream on trial, drawing interesting — if not always convincing — parallels between the macabre misfits.

Artistic Director Jamey Green has assembled a fine group of talent, starting with BRT co-founder Corbin Green. With Southern swagger and dark conviction, he leads the way as John Wilkes Booth. Likewise, Ryan Hunt (in his BRT debut) is well cast as the jaunty character of Balladeer, who narrates the musical . The sole voice of reason, Hunt’s lovely tenor brings out the best in Sondheim’s slightly schizophrenic score. Indeed, Sondheim’s music is strangely unsettling — it makes us tap our toes to cheery folk ditties while shaking our heads in disbelief and horror.

Erin Burns and Lisa Gillespie provide comic relief as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme and Sara Jane Moore, a couple of bumbling wannabes that attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford within a few days of each other in 1975. Swapping Charlie Manson stories and using a bucket of KFC for target practice, the two are oddly engaging.

But Jack Chambers is positively frightening as Samuel Byck, the failed businessman who tried to hijack a commercial jet in 1974 in hopes of crashing into Richard Nixon’s White House. Raging against everything from cold hamburgers to Leonard Bernstein’s indifference, Chambers keeps the audience riveted.

Anthony Popolo’s scenic design and technical direction is often chilling, utilizing a series of panels to project everything from the American flag to rush-hour traffic. Katie Gant’s lighting is less effective, often leaving actors in the shadows.

It’s complicated material and probably not for everyone. But BRT is to be applauded for staging such an unusual and uniquely American musical.

What: Assassins

When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays (May 15 only), Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. on Sundays (May 4 only), through May 24.

Where: Boiler Room Theatre, The Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Rd., Building Six

Cost: $25 for adults, $23 for students and seniors, and $19 for children 12 and under. Matinee prices are $2 less respectively. All Tuesday shows are two-for-one, and all tickets are $15 on Thursdays (no other discounts apply).

Info: 794-7744 or BoilerRoomTheatre.com

Assassins is rated R for adult language and themes.