Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...John Logan's carefully researched and clinically penned 1985 play "Never the Sinner," now the subject of a skillful new production at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre directed by Gary Griffin, was the breakthrough work for a singularly successful writer who would, over the next two decades, move on from the genteel Chicago murderers known as Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb to probe a plethora of other disturbing monsters."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...First staged at Northwestern (whose archives contained a treasure trove of original documents related to the case), and then, in 1985, given its first professional production by the now defunct Stormfield Theatre, "Never the Sinner" is now receiving an ideally cast, handsomely designed revival at Victory Gardens under the flawless direction of Gary Griffin."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...This revival directed by Gary Griffin is slick and efficient, but Japhet Balaban's Leopold and Jordan Brodress's Loeb fail to generate much heat together. They're convincing as remorseless snots, but not codependent remorseless snots. As the duo's famous attorney, Clarence Darrow, Keith Kupferer manages to convey a kind of folksy exasperation, but his role feels tangential to the play's main themes."
Gapers Block - Recommended
"...Never the Sinner is the story of the 1924 "crime of the century," its prelude, publicity and trial aftermath. It's retold in a tightly woven and acted play at Victory Gardens Theater. The script by Chicago native John Logan, written when he was a student at Northwestern University, is directed by Gary Griffin, whose usual métier is musicals. Griffin proves he can direct a perfectly wrought drama with equal skill. The 85-minute drama focuses on the relationship between the two young men. It's tense and thrilling even though the outcome is known from the start."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Director Gary Griffin keeps a steady hand on this fast-paced, info-dumping script, directing traffic so that the actors can keep their feet on the accelerator. As Leopold and Loeb, Japhet Balaban and Jordan Brodess let occasional moments of fear, tenderness and uncertainty bleed through the characters’ callow exteriors. The play is nominally in the shape of a courtroom drama, a subgenre that often lives and dies on the strength of the lawyers, and here both of them are in fine form. Keith Kupferer as Clarence Darrow ignites Inherit the Wind fantasies while, as prosecutor Robert Crowe, Derek Hasenstab brings a bruised shading to the man’s shining moral rectitude."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Part docu-drama and part historical fiction, the play expands defense attorney Clarence Darrow's questioning of whether the world really understood the two young murderers well enough to claim the moral authority to hang them. There are a number of ethical issues the script explores, but in the hands of director Gary Griffin and his leading actors, the play remains grounded in the humanity of two people the rest of the species still prefers not to be associated with."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...This dynamic 95 minutes of story telling takes us deep into the mentality of these men and what the newspapers were seeing and writing. We also meet the lawyers involved in the case' the District Attorney Crowe ( a powerful performance by Derek Hasenstab) and for the young men, Clarence Darrow (deftly handled by Chicago favorite Keith Kupferer). They present their cases to the Judge (which is represented by the audience) and as you will see, there are many surprises in the story line. Amazing for the time period in which the story takes place in. This is a solid cast through and through with the other cast members, handling several roles."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Gary Griffin’s finely directed production is like a well-played chess game. It’s a cat-and-mouse pursuit between two amoral young men who seem unable to understand or empathize with anyone else. It’s also a game of attraction and repeal between the two young men. Loeb and Leopold were friends, partners and, perhaps, even lovers. However, power and passion have never been played more honestly, and John Logan’s well-written play is a haunting examination of the human faces and minds behind one of history’s most senseless crimes."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...It nay be that the subject matter of "Never the Sinner" can't fail to be dramatic. But John Logan has composed a particularly eloquent and absorbing story that sheds fresh light on what has become a familiar and terrible moment in 20th century American life. The narrative seems well researched, lending credibility to the production. The acting and staging illuminate the plot without pushing for easy answers. The result is a gripping drama that should keep audiences both fascinated and unsettled."
