Some of America’s well-known assassins are coming to Barrie.

From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, they all be part of Talk is Free Theatre’s production of Assassins on Jan. 21 through 30.

“The show looks at every major assassin who succeeded or attempted to assassinate an American president, right from George Washington’s time, and they are all stuck in this carnival show,” said Arkady Spivak, TIFT’s artistic producer.

Assassins, based on the book by John Weidman and with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, examines the dark side of the “American experience.”

“This show looks at the whole assassination sensation as purely an American thing to do,” Spivak said. “I come from Russia, and through the years there has been oppressive regime, but no one tried to assassinate the politicians. Presumably, America this is one of the freest, comfortable to live in, and peaceful to live in countries in the world, but there’s these assassins.”

Spivak called Assassins a complex show. Actors will not only use dialogue and singing to tell the story, but will be playing instruments as well. Rehearsals started Dec. 28

“It is a show full of historical figures so the challenge for all of us is that it is portrayed with accuracy, particularly when some of those characters are still alive. For example, [Lynette] ‘Squeaky’ Fromme [a Charles Manson follower who pointed a gun at President Ford] just got out of jail not that long ago.”

Assassins is a co-production with Toronto’s Birdland Theatre. The show will debut in Barrie then head to Toronto for a run.

Assassins runs Jan 21 through 30 at the Downtown Community Theatre.

Tickets are $29.50. For more information or tickets, call 792-1949 or visit www.tift.ca.