Assassins - A Show Worthy of a Second Opinion!

Theater: The Players Club of Swarthmore
Show Title: Assassins
Opened: October 18, 2007
Closes: November 3, 2007
Seen: October 20, 2007
Reviewer: Tom Lamphere
Submitted: October 28, 2007

Assassins - A Show Worthy of a Second Opinion

I just finished reading Amy Lewis’s terrific review of the Players Club of Swarthmore’s production of Assassins (posted 10.21.07). Since I also attended the same performance as Ms. Lewis, I thought I’d give Stagemagazineonline.com subscribers a second opinion.

This was my first visit the PCS theater and I must say that I was impressed from the moment I entered the building. Although this community theater has been around for nearly 100 years, you’d never know it by looking at it! Theater guests enter into a large lobby area where they can relax and prepare for the evening’s entertainment. This is a far cry from other theaters that have little or no lobby space.

For this production of Assassins, the lobby walls are decorated with posters telling the story of multiple individuals such as John Wilkes Booth, John Hinckley, Samuel Byck and other presidential assassins throughout history. The posters, along with a video slide show playing on a suspended monitor, provided me and other audience members with much needed background on these individuals. The detail and quality of the posters is as good as anything you’re likely to see.

Upon entering the theater, the tone for the evening is already set through a combination of lights, “smoke”, and sound. This atmosphere, created by Rich Goldman (Sound Design), Tom Lee (Lighting Design) and Gregory Scott Miller (Set Design), sets an atmosphere of uneasiness that is maintained throughout the show and becomes, in essence, another character. Every lighting and sound effect are expertly used to invoke a response from the audience without ever taking anything away from the cast on stage.

Once the show begins, it becomes immediately clear that the audience is in for a rare treat. This cast is, simply put, incredible! Director Joseph P. Southard has assembled a cast so talented that it’s hard to believe this is “community” theater! Every actor is perfectly cast in their role and each delivers an incredible performance. In fact, if you’re looking for a standout performer in this production, good luck!

The music for this production is provided by a six piece orchestra expertly lead by Music Director Michele Ferdinand. The group, playing a very challenging score by Stephen Sondheim, impresses not only with their ability to play what is written but to do so without ever being inappropriately too loud or too soft.

Vocally, this group ranks with the best I’ve seen. The fact that I could hear every word spoken and sung while sitting in the back row of the theater is a testament to their diction and vocal power. Body microphones? Not with this group!

The Players Club of Swarthmore theater has put together a VERY professional production of an extremely difficult show. At the end of the performance, I left with only one disappointment. If ever there was a group that demanded a standing ovation, this was it, yet only a few audience members stood. Maybe it was the fact that group did such a good job of telling the story that no one was in the mood to stand up and cheer.

To the entire cast and crew for this production, here’s your standing ovation.

BRAVO!