endomental

Yeah, I gotta get me one of these:

I read about Assassins, the musical by Stephen Sondheim, in the book Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. I don't think it had quite the depth of meaning for me that it did for her, but I enjoyed the play when I saw it last night.

The play itself is an interesting series of historical slices. Presidential assassins and would-be assassins account for themselves through soliloquy and song. If you don't know your presidential assassins, you'll at least have a general idea of their names and their intended targets when you walk out of the theater.

John Wilkes Booth: Lincoln
Charles Guiteau: Garfield
Leon Czolgosz: McKinley
Guiseppe Zangara: F. D. Roosevelt
Lee Harvey Oswald: Kennedy
Samuel Byck: Nixon
Lynette Fromme: Ford
Sara Jane Moore: Ford
John Hinckley, Jr.: Reagan

There's a lot of dark humor and shrill, discordant notes, as is typical for a Sondheim work. There's also clever dialog and good storytelling.

Company One in Boston performed the play. It was my first experience with Boston theater (growing up in New York, I saw most of my plays on or near Broadway). It was very good. The theater is a small and intimate semicircle. Like theater in the half-round. The stage is the floor, and I had a front-row seat. The actors were arm's-length away.

They did a great job. I especially liked Mason Sand as Samuel Byck. He gave a chillingly amusing soliloquy, a rambling explanation of his plot via audiotape to Leonard Bernstein. McCaela Donovan as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was charmingly airheaded, so it was a pleasant surprise when she let loose with her powerhouse singing voice. All the cast were very good. Nathanael Shea had a couple of moments as John Hinckley that raised goosebumps.

I'd give it a solid recommend.

From the ProJo alert service:

"The state Public Utilities Commission has approved a 21.7-percent increase in the price National Grid charges its customers for electricity."

21.7%? Because the economy's doing so well, everyone can afford to pay an additional 1/5, on top of their existing electric bill?

Gawd.

Still with the catch-up...

You Are a Citizen of the World

Whenever possible, you try to pay attention to what's going on in the world. You are truly interested in all people and countries, no matter how far away from you they are. You try to learn, travel, and understand. Being a part of the whole world is important to you, and you're always working to be more internationally focused.

I'll buy that.

You Are 70% "Average American"

You are average because you wouldn't pay to go in space. You are not average since you do make New Year's resolutions.

Have to take their word on that one.

What Your These Fireworks Say About You

You are jubilant and easily excited. While you aren't very intense or passionate, your happiness is abundant. You can always find cause to celebrate, laugh, or even just smile to yourself. You find that life is full of things to be happy about!

I'd call that a miss.

You Are 58% American

Most times you are proud to be an American. Though sometimes the good ole US of A makes you cringe Still, you know there's no place better suited to be your home. You love your freedom and no one's going to take it away from you!

Oh...dear.

You Are a Vanilla Shake

Vanilla, yes, but definitely not boring. You are subtly complex and deeply sophisticated. You're the type of person who has always been ahead of their time. You don't fall for gimmicks or tricks. You are drawn to what's true.

Huh.

What the House Test Says About You

You are happy with who you are, and you don't have an inflated sense of self importance. You do your own thing quietly. You don't take up a lot of space. You are a fairly community oriented person. You like to get to know your neighbors, but you also like your privacy. You get attached to neighborhoods and cities. You are a playful, charming, and seductive person. People feel instantly close to you. You take good care of your physical appearance. You dress well, stay in shape, and do your best to look great. You are moved by the most simple of things. You can find pleasure from a small, perfect moment.

I like to think so.

All co-opted shamelessly from Kwizgiver.