Stepp's Play on JFK Assassination Runs Off-Bway in Sept.

Walt Stepp's Why We Shot John, billed as an "incendiary new exposé on the JFK assassination," will be presented at Altered Stages (212 W. 29th St.) by producing director Julie Carpenter.  Previews run Thursday, September 7th and 8th.  The show opens Saturday, September 9th and closes Sunday, October 1st.  

Why We Shot John is "an earnest and controversial new piece of journalistic theatre.  After years of research, playwright Walt Stepp has pieced together a plausible addition to the JFK conspiracy cannon. Told by the five conspirators themselves who are now in their eighties, they assume the 25 roles in the play including Jack Kennedy himself. Although their personal account is murky after so much time has passed, the evidence is clear.  They feared the power of the Civil Rights Movement with Jack Kennedy as its Great White Messiah. The specter of the resulting Kennedy Dynasty was too much to bear," state press notes.
 
Stepp's previous plays have been Lightin Out: A Mark Twain Musical (at the old Judith Anderson Theatre on Theatre Row) and Lotta Latina and the Dominoes: A Watergate Musical. "Like his present play, they tried to answer serious questions entertainingly." 
 
The artistic team includes director B. Peter Westerhoff, costume/set designer by Aaron Mastin, sound designer Peter Sylvester and lighting designer Stephen Arnold.

Performances run Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 4 PM.  Tickets are $18 and can be purchased by calling Smarttix at 212.868.4444/ www.smarttix.com. For more information, visit www.whyweshotjohn.com.