Entry 1

"Our country owed all her troubles to him, and God simply made me the instrument of his punishment." - John Wilkes Booth, April 1865

Well I figure you could have guessed that was who said that. Seems like the words of a drunken failure of an actor at the end of his rope trying to justify grasping at a last attempt to salvage his 15 minutes of fame by shooting the president.

Thing is though, like most of the assumptions we make about those assassins and attempted assassins in our nations history, it's almost completely wrong. John Wilkes Booth was not a failure. He was in fact the biggest star of his time, AT the time he assassinated Lincoln. His act was not a grasp at a last spotlight, he truly thought he was bring down a tyrant - one who had torn the country apart and destroyed his beloved South. Here's another interesting quote...

"That affair in its philosophy, corresponds with the many attempts, related in history, at the assassinations of kings and emperors. An enthusiast broods over the oppression of a people till he fancies himself commissioned by heaven to liberate them. He ventures the attempt, which ends in little else than his own execution."

If you guessed Abraham Lincoln, you're right! Kinda dramatic, huh? Interesting to look back at things, isn't it? Get to know some of the real facts and maybe learn something. Something like that these people in this show aren't simply insane. Can't be summed up in a sentence, should be looked at as more than a footnote. Because if we do then we will fall victim to the old cliche...

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it"

On another note - We're two weeks of rehearsal down, I've got my plunked out digitally recorded and transferred to CD parts ready to go. My lines noted in my book and I'm ready for blocking. For those who have never done a Sondheim show, this stuff is tough! But it's coming along. More on that in the coming blogs... sorry it took so long for me to get this entry in - for the six people who read this, I promise more soon.

MK