Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Ideally, "Crime and Punishment" plays in the theater as a great thriller with moral overtones. This production, although smart, eloquent, humble and not without rewards for fans of this work, struggles to create enough tension. Nothing here can feel fixed or predetermined; Raskolnikov's fate is, until the end, wholly unknown. None of this is easy - you have to cut through the intellectual relativism while respecting and amplifying every last deviation of the mind and soul. But that's the lord's work in the Chicago theater."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Across the 11-person ensemble, though, there are capable and occasionally stirring performances, including Darren Jones as a tortured soul and Patrick Thornton as a methodical, so-amicable-it's-eerie detective."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...Despite its length, this production remains consistently engaging and energetic, even in its quiet moments, as put together by capable veteran director Louis Contey. His concept of having Raskolnikov shadowed at every moment by mute alter egos is odd and adds little obvious value—he'd be better placing devil and angel puppets on Raskolnikov's shoulders—but all else is effective, aided by Christopher Kriz's original music and sound design and Shelly Strasser's generally-warm lighting."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Count this among the finest offerings from a Chicago theater: Shattered Globe Theatre’s kinetic staging of Chris Hannan’s adaptation of Crime and Punishment is flawlessly directed by Louis Contey, Eleven actors simultaneously attain personal bests in 155 minutes."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended
"...'Crime and Punishment' is the story of world literature of disillusion and human isolation, it is adapted for the stage by Chris Hannan with a fresh perspective of the old tale. The theatrical adaptation features an ensemble of eleven actors of chorus and conscience with multifaceted and opposing characters."
WTTW - Highly Recommended
"...In his monumental work, “Crime and Punishment,” the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky probed every one of these themes with an obsessive, unrelenting intensity. And the haunting dramatization of the novel now receiving a Shattered Globe Theatre production - thanks to a superbly limbed adaptation by British playwright Chris Hannan and incisive direction by Louis Contey - attacks the work with the same fire and attention to moral argument as the master writer himself. An impressive achievement on every count."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...In a production that focuses more on the punishment than the crime, director Louis Contey has competently staged his 11-member ensemble cast, keeping his talented actors in check. As the play swirls and winds its way round the intimate setting, he sees that each character has his own moment. Ultimately, Contey drives to story toward the finish line, guiding Drew Schad's performance of restrained fixation and his dual personality, while allowing the supporting cast the necessary range to create Dostoyevsky's sizable cast of characters. "
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Dostoyeksky’s Crime and Punishment is a thriller, a slow-paced intellectualized thriller. If you haven’t read the novel since college days, Chris Hannan’s 2013 adaptation—on stage at Shattered Globe Theatre—will sneak up on you. Louis Contey directs his 23rd production for Shattered Globe. Contey’s direction is sure and fluid; he makes the play almost choreographed in its physicality. However, the production lacks the tension we should feel over the crime and its eventual punishment."
PicksInSix - Recommended
"...Shattered Globe Theatre launches their 28th season with an ambitious and absorbing ensemble production of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, now playing at Theater Wit. Adapted by Chris Hannah and directed by ensemble member Louis Contey, the crime-thriller is set in mid-19th century St. Petersburg and features the compelling performance of Drew Schad as the tormented anti-hero, Raskonokov, whose murderous acts and retribution are central to the story."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Fans of Dostoyevsky will likely see the autobiographical content in Hannan's adaptation of Crime and Punishment. That author did his time in Siberia as well. This reviewer was allied with the heroic gestures of Raskolnikov, from depravity to the turn of heart toward higher ground. There is nothing so satisfying as a penitent assassin. In this narrative, Crime and Punishment does not disappoint."
