AN EVENING WITH JOHN WILKES BOOTH

Lengthy but progressively more absorbing POV of John Wilkes Booth justifying the patriotism of his assassination of President Lincoln. A 75-minute marathon for a solo show performer, so they're lucky to have STEPHEN SPIEGEL, who brings Experience and Charisma (that reminded me of my favorite, Kevin Kline) to the mighty task of capturing Mr Booth's ego and well as his cunning. ... full review

Have you ever seen a show where the actor was so good, charismatic, and charming that he was able to turn a historical figure that most people hate into an underdog that you want to cheer for? That’s what happened when Stephen Spiegel took the stage as John Wilkes Booth. You get to hear the how and why directly from Booth himself. He tells you about his family, acting, and why he planned on kidnapping Lincoln for the betterment of the country. In his mind, he should be considered a hero, not a villain. I was intrigued hearing his point of view. I was clinging on every word and was realizing that he was changing my outlook about him. Not since “A Regular Little Houdini” and actor Daniel Llewelyn-Williams have I seen such energetic and p... full review

I feel like there is potential in this script, but it needs work. Who is Booth talking to? Why is he telling this story? What does he hope to get from this telling? None of these questions are answered, resulting in an 80 minute history lesson instead of an engaging story. Read my full review here - https://tmblr.co/ZuIm2h2N4aS-F... full review

Dark and educational, but not stodgy, in fact quite playful in this team's hands. At times quite striking.... full review

Tremendous performance from Stephen Spiegel..! Shows a ton of range and polish, embodies Wilkes Booth incredibly, really feel a sense of the historical personality, and I want to believe it's exactly as Stephen chooses to show it to us here.... full review

The actor worked very hard, but good as he was, he couldn't lift the material up. The script was cumbersome; too many facts, too little emotion. Not a very good theater experience.... full review

In a strong one man show, the story that unfolds is a surprising and dramatic interpretation of an event we all feel we know about already. The fun here rests in the information revealed that led up to the act of murder.... full review