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Crime and Punishment

By Jayme McGhan

Based on the Novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky

PLAY SYNOPSIS

A thrilling and deeply introspective look at the failings of the human heart, Crime and Punishment: 2026 is a modern adaptation of Dostoevky's classic novel, steeped heavily in the digital landscape of our present age.  Rodya, a former university student, finds himself in abject poverty with nothing to cling to. Steeped in a post-Truth world where every fool has a platform, Rodya takes it upon himself, believing that he is doing justice, to kill an old pawn broker, whom he is deeply indebted to, and her disabled sister, with an axe. The guilt that washes over him is unbearable as he navigates his new tortured existence.  Hot on his trail is a keen detective who sees through his constant lies.  As the law closes in on him, Roscoe begins to have an awakening to the reality of his broken self and must decide whether to own up to his crimes and seek the forgiveness he so desperately needs, or let his soul wither into nothingness.  

CHARACTERS

(italics indicates original names from the novel)

Rodya-  Mid 20s.  Former Law Student. (Rodion Romanovich Raskalnikov)

Sonya- Late Teens.  Impoverished.  Trafficked.  (Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov)

Player One: (in order of appearance)

Addict- 

Detective Petrovich- 

Peter- 40s.  Fiancee to Dana.  (Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin)

Priest- 

Player Two: (in order of appearance)

Liz- 40s.  Sister to Alyona. Autistic. Pregnant. (Lizaveta Ivanovna)

Nastya- Late 20s. Apartment Caretaker.  (Nastasya Petrovna)

Young Woman- 

Dana- Late 20s.  Rodya’s Sister.  (Avdotya Romanovna Raskalnikov)

Player Three: (in order of appearance)

Alyona- 60s.  Pawn Broker.  (Alyona Ivanovna)

Alexandra- 60s.  Rodya and Dana’s Mother. (Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskalnikov)

Woman-   

Katherine- 50s.  Wife to Simeon. (Katerina Ivanovna)  

Player Four: (in order of appearance)

Simeon-  Early 50s.  Drunk.  Father of Sonya. (Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov)

C4- Late 40s.  Policeman. (Ilya Petrovich/Gunpowder)

Drunk-

Ivan- Late 40s.  Rodya’s former employer and Dana’s spurned suitor.  (Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov)

Player Five: (in order of appearance)

Barkeep-

Clerk-

Dimitri- Mid 20s.  Rodya’s friend. (Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin)

Man-  

Ambulance Driver- 

TIME-  2026.  

PLACE-  Multiple locations in a large, amorphous, globalized metropolitan. 

NOTE ON LANGUAGE:  The vernacular of the piece is intentionally anachronistic, merging the speech patterns of Dostoevky’s original characters with contemporary dialogue.  

AUTHORS NOTE:

Although originating in St. Petersburg in the mid-nineteenth century during a period of swift sociological change, Dostoevsky may well have written Crime and Punishment for modern times in any major global city.  New ideas flourish, tensions flare over traditional and seemingly archaic views, society grows ever more disparate, and the notion of Truth continues to wane regardless of one’s personal beliefs or politics.  As a result, alienation and isolation become a new norm.  Now, add the digital sphere.  This was, to the best of my understanding, the very fabric on which Dostoevsky wrote his most celebrated of works.  Although I have taken numerous and substantial liberties in both containing the work as a piece of theatre and updating the story to fit modern times, the themes and heart of the original masterwork remains the same.  As all Truths do.  

THEMES

Morality

Guilt

Poverty

Family

The Existence of God

God’s Grace

Freedom in Christ

CONTENT FOR PARENTAL CONSIDERATION

MATURE SUBJECT MATTER

Simeon’s daughter has resorted to selling videos of herself online for money.  A video projection of her is shown which is distorted but just recognizable.  Simeon tells about how she started doing these videos to help pay debt. 

Alexandra talks about her daughter Dana being fired from work because her boss made a pass at her.  It was posted all over social media and Dana’s reputation was ruined from it even though she was innocent.

Fast projections are shown of internet searches of the ethics of killing, with some imagery of murder 

After murdering the pawn shop owner and her sister Rodya is seen scrubbing his bloody clothes.

There is a scene with a scantily clad woman who is inebriated being pursued by a man.

Simeon, drunk, purposely goes in the street to traffic and gets hit by a bus.  No one will help him because he is poor.  Rodya gets Simeon to his home.  His wife is clearly upset and angry that her husband was a drunk and has done this to himself.  Simeon dies with his daughter next to him who is dressed for prostitution.

Rodya has a dream where Alyona is still alive and he continuously swings an axe trying to kill her even though he has already killed her.

DRINKING

A scene between Simeon and Rodya takes place at a bar.  Simeon drinks whiskey, Rodya drinks an ale.  Simeon has a drinking problem which he explains has ruined his life and harmed his family.  Simeon is drunk in the scene.

VAPING

Rodya uses a vape.

At a police station the clerk vapes

VIOLENCE

Rodya tells the story of why he doesn’t like horses.  A poor family that he knew got mad at their horse because she couldn’t pull her plow.  So the family beat her to death with many objects.  We do not see this shown, just talked about.

Rodya punches Peter

Rodya, angry at Peter, starts throwing chairs around the room.

Ivan attacks Dana, Rodya tries to stop it but gets pushed to the ground.  Dana gets her gun and holds it up to defend herself.  He keeps advancing on her and she shoots him but it grazes his ear.  Ivan asks her to shoot him but she does not.  Ivan picks up her gun and leaves the room and we hear a shot.

STEALING

When Rodya kills the pawn shop owner and her sister he steals many things from the pawn shop.

LANGUAGE

Hell and Damn are used a few times

Rodya calls Peter a jackass

Peter calls Sonya a whore

Alexandra calls Peter a jackass

SUICIDE

Rodya considers suicide

Ivan kills himself with Dana’s gun offstage.

MURDER AND GORE

Rodya kills Alyona with an axe and we see it happen.  This scene is highly stylized.  He then kills Alyona’s sister Liz with the axe. There are projections of blood and blood indicated on stage.

RUNNING TIME

2 hours

20 minute intermission

SHOW DATES

January 28 - February 22, 2025

WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED AGE FOR CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

If this play was a movie we would give it a rating of PG-13.  We strongly suggest parents watch the show before deciding to bring their children under the age of 16.

HOW MUCH ARE TICKETS TO CRIME AND PUNISHMENT?

Tickets prices vary between $25 and $80 depending on where you sit in the theater.

Executive Artistic Director’s Note

Outside of the Bible, Crime and Punishment is my favorite book.  The first time I read it, I couldn’t put it down.  I read it in three days, only taking breaks to sleep and eat.  I was fully mesmerized.  My heart broke for every single person in the narrative.  Dostoevsky has oft been lauded as a genius for his miles-deep psychological explorations of our sinful nature.  But his real genius, in my mind, is his ability to make us feel both deep sympathy and deep empathy for and with the most broken of people.  I’ve wanted to adapt this book for the stage for quite some time as I don’t believe the other performance-related adaptations I’ve read or seen have fully grasped the Christian ramifications of the story.  Upon re-reading it five or so years ago, the idea of moving it into the contemporary became stuck in my writing mind.  I couldn’t shake it.  And, as a rule of thumb, I’ve learned that if I can’t shake something then I need to write it.  Crime and Punishment: 2026 takes Dostoevsky’s most celebrated of works and paints it with a modern brush.  If you’ve read the book, you know it treads in extraordinarily dark places.  But so does the Bible.  And darkness is simply the absence of light.  I would challenge our audiences to sit with that darkness, absorb it, search their own hearts for their own shadows of brokenness, and walk away compelled to shine that much brighter. 

Theatre is an art form that from its inception has had the proven power to move and to stir the human spirit. This can have a wide variety of manifestations. We are often stirred up, and that kind of event can have us needing to talk to someone about it. We recommend that you find a licensed mental healthcare professional to help you work through difficult feelings that may have been stirred up by a play. You should always work with someone that you have a great connection with. If you need help starting that process, we recommend our partners at Ellie Mental Health as a starting place.

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