For the 2015 fall musical Assassins, Sage students followed in the steps of renowned actors like Neil Patrick Harris and Michael Cerveris in the Tony-winning, Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim.  The acclaimed and thought provoking musical follows the stories of infamous assassins who have attempted or succeeded in killing presidents of the United States of America.  

“Assassins is a great choice for this year because it takes a closer look at the circumstances in which some of America’s most famous murderers became disillusioned.  In light of recent current events, it’s important to take a close look at how people become marginalized and violent, and this play focuses on the minds of these historical characters,” assistant director and senior Seth Eaton said.

The show sparked many discussions and some were wary about high school students stepping into the character of murders.

“Assassins was a unique show to work on because of some people’s concern about our use of guns. As assistant director, I hosted talk backs after every show to give people an opportunity to speak up and share the way they connected with the piece because of the nature of the content. Audience members had many different opinions, not all of them positive, but it was exciting to see how our work affected them. Our goal was to start a dialogue on campus, and the show was a perfect medium to present the subject through art,” Eaton said.

It was a challenging show and distinctly different than what has been the norm for Sage shows in the past. A risk was taken but it was immensely received; with applause and standing ovations!

“I am impressed they would dare take on such a deep, complex and potentially controversial subject matter. They did a phenomenal job!” a parent of a Sage student said.  

Though seemingly a tragic story, one that would normally not be told with singing and dancing, Sondheim’s script and lyrics add just enough laughs while still keeping an underlying dark tone to make it not only watchable, but enjoyable as well.

“The creative liberties Sondheim takes when he interweaves these historical characters together in the same time and space, breaks the model of traditional linear storytelling. To me, this is such a great example for our students and community of out-of-the box thinking and storytelling,” Tannis Hanson, theater teacher, said.