written by fyodor dostoevsky
adapted by marilyn campbell and curt columbus
directed by sharon ott
limited season | thrust stage
february 27–march 29, 2009
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
NO LATE SEATING—Late comers may watch the show on our big-screen lobby monitor.
the play
Sharon Ott returns to the stage where she earned her national reputation with a gripping production of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s classic Crime and Punishment. As a police inspector interrogates a man about murder, we journey through the mind of a criminal. What did he do? Why did he do it? And what would you be capable of in certain circumstances? Before Law & Order, there was Crime and Punishment. Performed in 90 minutes with only three actors, this chamber piece compresses all the tension and pathos of the novel into a powerful evening of theatre. Dive into the greatest crime story ever written, a tale of murder, motive and redemption that plumbs the depths of the human soul.
the players
In her 13 years as artistic director of Berkeley Rep, Sharon Ott led the company to new artistic heights, national prestige and a well-deserved Tony Award. During her tenure, she directed memorable productions of Heartbreak House, Twelfth Night, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992, The Woman Warrior and Yankee Dawg You Die.
One of the world’s most influential authors, Fyodor Dostoevsky is best known for The Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot and Notes from the Underground. He was so popular in his native Russia that he was hailed as a prophet and a mystic in the 19th century.
the buzz
“Stunningly lean, taut, and emotionally searing.”—Chicago Sun-Times
“Remarkably absorbing…Crime and Punishment, in a feat that rivals the construction of the Hoover Dam, has been distilled into a taut 90-minute play by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus [that] will banish any bad memories you might have of trying to struggle through Dostoevsky’s book.”—New York Times
“Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus have sculpted the 600-page Russian opus into a 90-minute study in menace. Elegantly directed by Sharon Ott, who returns to Berkeley Rep, the company she helped make famous, it’s a muscular psychological drama that’s both intellectually rigorous and visually arresting.”—San Jose Mercury News
“Crime and Punishment bristles with intensity…This adaptation, using only three actors playing several roles, is quite fascinating in its own right. The piece has an almost uncomfortable intimacy, which allows the characters to get too close, both to the audience and to each other. It’s a nice theatrical device…The acting is outstanding…It is an elegant production, tightly written.”—Bay Area News Group
“This Crime is beautifully staged and features some sharply etched performance moments…It’s the much-anticipated return of director Sharon Ott to the scene of some of her greatest triumphs.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“The cast of three includes J.R. Horne and Delia MacDougall playing multiple roles, and Tyler Pierce as Raskolonikov in one of the finest dramatic performances that I have ever seen. It’s all performed in 90 minutes and provides an exciting evening of great theatre…It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat!”—KGO-AM
multimedia
Watch the B-roll—three minutes of excerpts.
plan to arrive early
Take advantage of a free add-on event—docent presentations Tue/Thu 7pm or tastings select Fri/Sat/Sun eves. Check out our café counter. Make off with one of our specialty drinks and peruse your info- and insight-packed program. So much to enjoy!
Press Photos
season sponsors
