A musical about successful and would-be murderers might seem like a bit of downer, but there are lessons to be learned and even a bit of levity in "Assassins." The show will be performed at Susquehanna Stage, 133 W. Market St., Marietta, on select dates from Friday, Oct. 25, to Sunday, Nov. 3.

"The show is about a group of both successful and attempted presidential assassins telling their story and going through vignettes with the details of their lives, details of the specific acts they committed and how they all tie into each other and tie into the fabric of America," said Sean Reynolds, who portrays John Wilkes Booth in the musical. "It's a story about the collective idea of what America is."

Written by Stephen Sondheim, "Assassins" weaves together the stories of nine people, including well-known assassins Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald, with lesser-known subjects such as Charles Guiteau, Leon Czolgosz and Samuel Byck.

Reynolds said he learned a lot about his character and others in the show while researching his part. "It's fascinating to think about how you have these really big, watershed figures in American history side by side with someone who the general public doesn't know," he shared, "but they all come together in this story."

Meagan Mapson, who portrays Sara Jane Moore, a woman who attempted to assassinate Gerald Ford, said the subject of the show may seem surprising, but the musical offers an opportunity to learn more about important moments in America's history.

"The show doesn't glorify what they've done, but you get a sense of what their motivation was, why they did what they did," she said. "Everyone has their own version of the American Dream, and to me, the assassins also have that American Dream, but they pursue it in a very different and not-so-acceptable way."

Given current events, the show is especially relevant, Reynolds said, but he emphasized that audiences will walk away with something no matter when the show is performed.

"This is one of those shows that is simultaneously timely, in that it's examining all of the things that were going on in the country at these specific times, but the big, overarching themes are so timeless," he said. "These are themes that have existed as long as the country has existed."

Reynolds said the show focuses on connection and how most people are just looking to belong, and although the topic of the show is serious, there are moments of comedy on stage.

"We are all looking for a way to connect, to be heard, to feel like we belong, whether that's just to one other person, to a family, to a peer group, to society at large," he shared. "This group of people has a very wide range of reasons why they do the things they do, but they are all connected in this way."

Ethan Reimel, who portrays Giuseppe Zangara, president-elect Franklin Roosevelt's would-be assassin, said he enjoyed learning more about his character, including how Zangara had undiagnosed medical problems that caused severe pain as well as post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in the Italian army during World War I.

"Because these were real people, there's so much to draw from when you're creating the character," Reimel said.

"Assassins" premiered off Broadway in 1990 to mixed reviews, and the show was set for a revival in 2001. That revival was postponed following the events of 9/11, Mapson noted, but when it was revived on Broadway in 2004, it opened to stellar reviews, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

"I tell people, if you love history and you love Sondheim, come see this show," she said. "It's a dark comedy, but there's moments of vulnerability there as well. It's a very character-driven show."

"Assassins" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 25 and 26 and Nov. 1 and 2, as well as Thursday, Oct. 31. Performances are also set for 2 p.m. on Sundays, Oct. 27 and Nov. 3. For more information, visit http://www.susquehannastage.com.