Introducing the Assassins: Giuseppe Zangara

“I salute all the poor of the world."

Giuseppe Zangara was born in Calabria, Italy in 1900. Following his mother’s death, his father emigrated with the family to Philadelphia. Zangara suffered from a mysterious stomach malady which caused him extreme discomfort throughout his life; as desperate a measure as an appendectomy failed to relieve his condition. Scraping a living as a manual laborer, Zangara became a naturalized citizen in 1929. Frustrated with his adopted homeland, Zangara attempted to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt at Miami’s Bayfront Park on February 15, 1933. Impaired by the festive fairground crowd, Zangara missed his target but fatally wounded Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak, who was in attendance largely as Democratic Party penance for challenging some of Roosevelt’s policies. Demonized as a madman, Zangara was sentenced to death by electrocution, defiant to the end of a capitalist system he felt had robbed both him and many like him of their opportunities and happiness. The five weeks between Cermak’s death and Zangara’s execution would be the briefest capital sentencing outcome of the Twentieth Century.

Joseph Medeiros is playing Guiseppe Zangara in Assassins, thru April 20. Make sure to catch Joseph in his PlayMakers debut!

Three actors making their PlayMakers debuts in "Assassins"

We are pleased to welcome three actors making their PlayMakers debuts in Assassins.  Danny Binstock takes on the role of the John Wilkes Booth, the matinee idol who became famous for the role he cast himself. Joseph Medeiros as Giuseppe Zangara is both off-putting and mesmerizing as he tries to fix his stomach pains with a bullet… directed at someone else.  And, Spencer Moses is the Balladeer, singing about our assassins with charm and sly commentary.

Spencer Moses, on right, with Jeff Meanza

Danny Binstock

Joseph Medeiros

Something these actors have in common is their enjoyment of PlayMakers’ university setting. Spencer says, “my favorite thing about my first time at PlayMakers is meeting and working with such an incredibly talented and warm company of professors and students.  It's a very unique experience and one that I wish I'd had when I was in college.”  Joseph adds, “I love the atmosphere of education, the energy of people working on their craft, of being focused on their process as theater practitioners. It's so present in the rehearsal studio and has given my own work on the show a wonderful boost.”  Danny says “My favorite thing about working at PlayMakers is Julie Fishell. She cracks me up and is an actor’s actor. In fact, I'd say this is true of the whole company. It's such a joy to work with a group of actors who know and trust each other.“

As for their roles, all three have found interesting challenges and quirks associated with portraying their individual assassins. Danny shares “something interesting I've found about playing Booth is how charming he is, and how he felt (and he wasn't alone) that his actions were going to heal the country.” Joseph says “I love this role (Giuseppe Zangara). I like playing characters who are dispossessed in some way, and finding an avenue of empathy and understanding in order to be able to give life to that person on stage. As a character, I may achieve some of my goals, which makes my character happy, but what makes him happy and the audience happy are not the same. The tension this creates is the point. We leave the audience to sort through their own feelings, in their own time. At that point, the piece belongs to each individual spectator. This is a wonderful thing.” Spencer says “the most interesting thing about my role (the Balladeer) is that my scene partner is mostly the audience.  So it's a really good challenge to take my focus to them and try to involve them in the story.”

See these talented newcomers to PlayMakers in Assassins, running through April 20.

Dress Rehersal for "Assassins"

The Ensemble in Assassins. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

The assassins are ready to take the stage. With opening night just a few days away, PlayMakers is ready to introduce its cast of sharp-shooting, cake-dancing, butterfingered, misguided souls, who sing and dance their way towards the American Dream. Stephen Sondheim gives voice in Assassins to these disaffected protagonists with the wit and complex emotional portraits his work is renowned for.

Check out these pictures from the final dress rehearsal of Assassins. Assassins will be running at PlayMakers from April 2-20. Click here to get your tickets!

JOSEPH MEDEIROS as Guiseppe Zangara. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

The Ensemble in Assassins. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

JULIE FISHELL as Sara Jane Moore, DANNY BINSTOCK as John Wilkes Booth, JEFFREY MEANZA as Charles Guiteau and GREGORY DeCANDIA as Leon Czolgosz. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

JEFFREY MEANZA as Charles Guiteau. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

The Ensemble in Assassins. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

PATRICK McHUGH as Lee Harvey Oswald, DANNY BINSTOCK as John Wilkes Booth. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

DANNY BINSTOCK as John Wilkes Booth. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

MAREN SEARLE as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme and JULIE FISHELL as Sara Jane Moore. Photo by Jon Gardiner.