Review: OUR AMERICAN TRAGEDY at Sunny Gingham And Banzerini House

Nearly 161 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln was shot by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre as he watched a production of OUR AMERICA COUSIN. Every American knows this famous and tragic tale, but not everyone will know the story of those on stage that night. Making its full-length premiere in Phoenix, Angelique Fustukjian, Matthew Namik, and Nick Roy’s new play OUR AMERICAN TRAGEDY tells the story of the cast and crew after that terrible night.

The story begins moments before the assassination as British actress Laura Keene (Angelique Fustukjian), her fellow actor and friend Harry Hawk (Matthew Namik), and young seamstress-turned-debut-actress May Hart (Hayla Stewart) perform on stage. After the shooting, the cast and crew calm down and are notified that they are being detained and must remain in the theatre until they are cleared to leave. When Harry Hawk claims he saw John Wilkes Booth do it, tensions arise between him and John Matthews (Nick Roy), another actor and a friend of Booth’s. Others at the theatre that night include stage manager John Burroughs Wright (Bryan Snodgrass), Confederate sympathizer and stagehand Ned Spangler (Luke Steinborn), another stagehand and the theatre’s peanut seller Joseph ‘Peanut John’ Burroughs (Carlos Cameron), and Mary Anderson (April Rock) a black cleaner at the theatre who rushed from her home to the theatre when she heard the commotion after the assassination. As the characters grow nervous about the upcoming interrogations, they worry that any misstep or inconsistency will put them in jail or worse.

At its core, OUR AMERICAN TRAGEDY is a drama, allowing the audience to observe many different character dynamics that slowly become more heated as the hours after the assignation pass. Although the audience knows the story behind how and why Lincoln was assassinated, the play is successful with its mystery elements. After the assassination, as the characters try to get their stories straight and discuss the events leading up to it, the hours before are shown, with scenes shifting between the present and the past as details of those events become relevant. Audiences will find themselves at the edge of their seats as characters are questioned and forced to explain themselves. While audience members who are particularly informed on this historical event may already know the fates of all the characters, it is very easy to worry for the characters.

Every member of the cast gave a great performance. One standout was Luke Steinborn as Ned Spangler. His character was very blatantly racist toward Mary Anderson, and he was able to make the room feel heavy with his words. His small less abrasive moments were also great as the audience learns more about his past and why he has such a vitriol for Lincoln. April Rock as Mary Anderson was another great performance. Her story and acting were moving. Her character’s narrative arc was one of the most captivating and engaging. As the story progresses, Rock is able to make the audience root for her as she gains the courage to share what she knows about the events of that night. Angelique Fustukjian as Laura Keene served as the closest connection to Lincoln. As Lincoln himself is not a character, it is very easy to get caught up in the cast of characters and focus on their stories and reactions rather than the assassination itself. Laura is presented as a friend of Lincoln’s and serves as a reminder of who is at the center of everything. She is the most personally distraught over the events that unfolded, but manages to hold herself together well. Fustukjian played the role perfectly; she was a perfect balance of a confident actress and a woman torn apart by the death of her friend. Carlos Cameron as Peanut John and Hayla Stewart as May Hart had great chemistry. As the youngest characters, the pair has a very minor romance that acts as one of the brief moments of levity in an otherwise very heavy plot. The romance is very sweet and serves as a nice addition to the story.

In addition to the cast, the crew did a great job as well. Emma Baker’s dramaturgical work on this production is very evident; the play felt very well researched. The stage and sound design were captivating. The use of color during certain dramatic moments and its use to portray the passage of time was very clever. The set itself, the backstage of Ford’s Theatre, is unchanging for much of the story, but very well done. Having one set seemed like a perfect way to encapsulate how trapped the characters must have felt. The opera house at the Pioneer Living History Museum was the perfect venue for this performance and served as a great way to immerse audiences as soon as they arrive.

Sunny Gingham and Banzerini House did an amazing job with OUR AMERICAN TRAGEDY. It serves as an excellent reminder that behind every historical event, there are numerous others that we may not hear the whole extent of. This play will leave audience members with a perspective they may not have known and history-lovers with the urge to learn more about these characters. OUR AMERICAN TRAGEDY is a thrilling take on one of the most important parts of American history.

OUR AMERICAN TRAGEDY plays at Pioneer Living History Museum through March 29th.

Banzerini House -- https://www.banzerinihouse.org-- (602) 887-8517

Sunny Gingham -- https://www.instagram.com/p/DUYfMrVjPxG/

Venue: Pioneer Living History Museum -- 3901 W. Pioneer Road, Phoenix, AZ 85086

Photo Credit to Sunny Gingham