What do Leon Czolgosz, Charles Byck and John Wilkes Booth have in common? They all tried to assassinate American presidents and they are all featured in a Boston-area musical production called "Assassins." The production runs through August 9 at the Boston Center for the Arts.
Leon Czolgosz killed William McKinley, the 25th president, in 1901 and Charles Byck tried to blow up the white house in 1975 and kill Richard Nixon in the process. "Assassins" explores the psyches of these American characters and their history of infamy.
The production takes a comedic and satirical look at some of the most loathed characters in American history. "Lincoln, who got mixed reviews/Because of you, John, now gets only raves!" they sing about John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln.
Some think that this is a controversial time to bring back the play which was originally written in 1991. Seeing as we might soon have the first black president, concerns about assassination run especially high. Let’s hope that if Barack Obama does get elected, there won’t be a Leon Czolgosz or John Wilkes Booth running around with a loaded gun!
(PS- Leon Czolgosz died in the electric chair for assassinating President McKinley.)
Source: http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=arts&sc=theater&sc2=news&sc3=&id=77547
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