Alumna Elisabeth Frankel ’19 Assistant Directing ‘Assassins’

Playwriting alumna Elisabeth Frankel ’19 is assistant directing the musical Assassins at Classic Stage Company alongside Director John Doyle. Doyle has served as Artistic Director for Classic Stage Company since 2016, following former Artistic Director and Professor Brian Kulick.

In Assassins, take a journey through the dark side of the American dream, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Tony-winning musical explores the lives of nine men and women who either killed (or tried to kill) one of the Presidents of the United States. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald and beyond, the stories of our country’s most successful and would-be assassins intersect in unexpected ways, creating a powerful, yet unnervingly funny look at some of the most shocking moments in US history.

Frankel is a theatre-maker, who is inspired by adventurous theatricality as a way to explore politics, feminism, American culture, and ultimately, a relentless faith in people. Frankel has worked as a director, dramaturg, and playwright and her credits include the world premiere of Mlima’s Tale by Professor Lynn Nottage at The Public Theatre and a reading of her original play The German Party at Asolo Repertory Theatre. Frankel was also a finalist for the Columbia@Roundabout New Play Reading Series for her play 2076. 

Assassins first premiered at Playwrights Horizons in 1990 and opened on Broadway in 2004, winning 5 Tony Awards. This revival production stars Broadway veterans Ethan Slater, Adam Chandler-Berat, Judy Kuhn, Will Swenson, Wesley Taylor, and more. 

Assassins begins performances April 2nd ahead of an April 16 opening. The production closes on June 6th. Performances will run at 90 minutes with no intermission.