CRIME AND PUNISHMENT Brings Its Drama To The Jungle 3/27-5/3

When is anyone morally sanctioned to take another's life? Is redemption possible for anyone who has committed the sin of murder? These questions lie at the heart of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment-the classic, celebrated Russian novel of motive and murder, perhaps the greatest and most insightful crime story ever written. Thrillingly adapted for only three actors, this absorbing and highly theatrical drama will unfold in a heart-stopping 90 minutes at the Jungle Theater, March 27 - May 3.

On the Jungle's intimate stage, audiences will enter the tortured world of Raskolnikov, one of the most fascinating figures in all of literature. What has he done? Why has he done it? And of what are any of us capable? These haunting questions are intricately woven into the Jungle Theater's bracing and stunningly theatrical production.

Says director Joel Sass, "I wanted to direct this show from the moment I read it. It is a harrowing psychological rollercoaster that explores questions of faith, morality and personal responsibility. " Adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus, this area premiere features John Riedlinger as the repentant murderer Raskolnikov; Stacia Rice as Sonia, the young prostitute who befriends him; and Steve Hendrickson as the detective Porfiry, whose investigation drives Raskolnikov toward a shattering moment of confession and salvation. Crime and Punishment earned Chicago's prestigious Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Adaptation in 2002/2003 and was acclaimed by the Chicago Sun-Times as "stunningly lean, taut and emotionally searing."

Crime and Punishment is an acclaimed novel written by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881). First published in a journal named The Russian Messenger, it appeared in twelve monthly installments in 1866 and was later published as a novel. The book is considered one of the best-known and most influential Russian novels of all time. Dostoevsky's psychological penetration into the human soul has profoundly influenced 20th century literature. This new, award-winning adaptation of Dostoyevsky's literary masterpiece is told by three actors and begins in 19th-century Russia where an idealistic student believes his intellectual superiority gives him the right to commit any crime-even murder-if he believes it will improve society. So convinced is he of this notion that the student coldly murders a crooked pawnbroker and her innocent sister. In the aftermath of this crime, Raskolnikov's conviction that he has made the world better is replaced by an agonizing, relentless guilt that threatens to destroy him. On the surface, Crime and Punishment is the story of a murder. It is not, however, a murder mystery: we know the murderer's identity from the very beginning. Moreover, although Dostoyevsky depicts the crime and the environment in which he creates a gallery of memorable characters, he is more interested in the psychology of the murderer than in the external specifics of the crime. This "conversation on the nature of evil" is set in the mind of the murderer where he relives and explores, through the urging of Porfiry (the detective) and Sonia (the young prostitute), the thoughts, ideas, and feelings that drove Raskolnikov to his horrible crime. The play not only exposes the social conditions in nineteenth century Russia, but also gives an insightful analysis of liberal and radical politics and a religious call for redemption through suffering.

About the Author

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) was born in Moscow, as the second son of a staff doctor and was educated at home and at a private school. Shortly after the death of his mother in 1837, he was sent to St. Petersburg, where he entered the Army Engineering College. In 1839 Dostoevsky's father Mikhail Andreevich died, probably of apoplexy, but there was strong rumors that he was murdered by his own serfs in a quarrel. Dostoevsky graduated as a military engineer but resigned in 1844 to devote himself to writing. His first novel, Poor Folk appeared in 1846. It was followed by The Double 1846 which depicted a man who was haunted by a look-alike who eventually usurps his position.

In 1846 he joined a group of utopian socialists. He was arrested in 1849 and sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to imprisonment in Siberia. Dostoevsky spent four years in hard labor and four years as a soldier in Semipalatinsk. Dostoevsky returned to St. Petersburg in 1854 as a writer with a religious mission. He published three works that derive in different ways from his Siberia experiences: The House of the Dead (1861-62), The Insulted and Injured (1861), and Winter Notes on Summer Impressions (1863). Also from the turmoil of the 1860s emerged Notes from Underground (1864), Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1868-69), and The Possessed (1872). In 1857 Dostoevsky married Maria Isaev, a 29-year old widow. He resigned from the army two years later. Between the years 1861 and 1863 he served as editor of the monthly periodical Time, which was later suppressed because of an article on the Polish uprising. In 1864-65 his wife and brother died and he was burdened with debts, and his situation was made even worse by gambling. In 1867 Dostoevsky married Anna Snitkin, his 22-year old stenographer. They traveled abroad and returned in 1871. By the time of The Brothers Karamazov, which appeared in 1879-80, Dostoevsky was recognized in his own country as one of its great writers. An epileptic all his life, Dostoevsky died in St. Petersburg on February 9, 1881. He was buried in the Aleksandr Nevsky monastery, St. Petersburg.

About the Adaptors

Marilyn Campbell is a published playwright and award-winning actress; she is also producer, co-founder and artistic associate of Writers' Theatre, Glencoe, Illinois. Her co-adaptation with Curt Columbus of Crime and Punishment won Chicago's 2003 Joseph Jefferson Award, Best New Adaptation and was subsequently published by Dramatic Publishing. Since its publication Crime and Punishment has enjoyed numerous productions across the country including the following: Arden Theatre Company; Round House Theatre; Orlando Shakespeare Festival, where it won Top Pick at the 2005 Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays; Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; 59E59 Street Theatre in New York City; and in 2009, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Indiana Rep and Intiman Theatre among others. Campbell's other full-length plays include the award-winning My Own Stranger, a co-adaptation based on the writings of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anne Sexton; The Beats, based on the writings of the 1950's beat poets (which starred David Cromer as Allen Ginsberg); and The Gospel According to Mark Twain, a co-adaptation based on the later writings of Mark Twain, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival, Scotland. Campbell is currently writing a new play, commissioned by Writers' Theatre and based on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, entitled The Monster's Lullaby. She is also co-authoring and performing in an original comedic work with her daughter, Maria Merrin, entitled Mixing It Up.

Curt Columbus is a director and writer who has been working in Chicago theater for over a decade. His translation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya was published by Ivan R. Dee last spring, and a new translation of Three Sisters will appear sometime later this year. A volume of Chekhov's four major plays will follow in 2004. Curt has been an artistic associate at the Tony award winning Victory Gardens Theater since 1990 and is currently associate artistic director at Steppenwolf Theatre. He also serves as the artistic director of the Chicago Park District's Theater on the Lake.

Crime and Punishment opens on Friday, March 27 and closes on Sunday, May 3.
Performances of Crime and Punishment are Tuesdays ($28) and Wednesdays ($28) at 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. ($32); Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. ($36); Sundays at 2 p.m. ($32); and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. ($28).

Senior, student and group discounts are also available, and rush tickets are available for every performance 30 minutes prior to show time.
Tickets are available at (612) 822-7063 or online at www.jungletheater.com

The Jungle Theater
2951 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55408

Cast
John Riedlinger as Raskolnikov
Stacia Rice as Sonia/Aloyna Ivanova/ Lizaveta/ Raskolnikov's Mother
Steve Hendrickson as Porfiry/ Marmeladov/ Tradesman/ Koch

 

 

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