About "Assassins"

If residents of Westmoreland County want to see a Broadway musical, they no longer have to tunnel to the famed street to do so. They can merely purchase tickets to seasons at Split Stage Productions, a local company that stages famed shows such as Hair and Avenue Q with area performers.

The artistic brains behind the operation are co-founders Rob Jessup and Nate Newell, both Western Pennsylvania transplants and theater veterans who were inspired by the region's need for thought-provoking, dynamic drama. "I think that the big thing is the risks that we're willing to take," Newell says when discussing what sets Split Stage apart. Those risks have paid off: a flagship production of Rent was, according to Jessup, "a success," and helped cement Split Stage's reputation as an up-and-coming company.