The Factory Arts Project will present Never the Sinner, a gripping drama by Tony Award-winning playwright John Logan. The play tells the true story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy and intelligent young men who murdered a fourteen-year-old boy in 1924, believing they could commit the perfect crime.
Director Talley Wilford, known for his work with Groove Theatre, was drawn to this play for its connection to the modern fascination with true crime.
“What interests me about this show is what I think interests most millennials who were raised with the suburban panic of the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s: true crime fascinates us,” said Wilford. “Our generation was raised with a fear of child abduction, satanic panic, and overall threats to the comfy lifestyles of suburban America. Much of that hysteria was overblown, but the few real cases that did occur left a lasting impact. That’s why we gravitate toward the rare and sensational true crime stories that actually happened.”
The story of Leopold and Loeb is particularly striking because the two men, described as intellectual prodigies, did not commit murder out of passion or necessity but simply to prove their own superiority. Their crime shocked the nation, and the trial that followed was one of the most highly publicized of its time. Wilford states, “The story of Leopold and Loeb is made all the more unique in that they only had a single victim, they planned it out, they had no motivation for the crime other than to prove they could do it. Not to mention, they were, in a sense, lovers at a time men could not publicly be with another man.”
The production features cast members Max Brennan, Tyler Henry, Roegan Bell, Alex Greenlee, Ray Nissen, Erik Fair, and Clay Owens, a mix of experienced performers who have worked with Wilford on past projects and new faces who bring fresh energy to the show.
Wilford shares, “Within this cast of familiars, there’s a fabulous amount of trust and community amongst us all, knowing what each other brings to the table and the level of quality expected from The Factory. It is odd to say, but the cast is having a ball bringing a show of such dark and serious subject matter to life, and we hope that the audience has as much fun as we’ve had.” While Never the Sinner deals with disturbing themes, the rehearsal process has been filled with collaboration and a deep respect for the material.
For this production, The Factory Arts Project is transforming the Waterfowl Festival Building into an intimate theatrical space. Though the venue has hosted concerts, art exhibitions, and even wrestling matches, this will be the first time a play has been performed there (that they know of). Wilford is embracing the challenge of using the space, stripping back the set and costume design to create a minimalist, immersive experience.
Never the Sinner is recommended for true crime enthusiasts, history buffs, and theater lovers who appreciate complex narratives and thought-provoking themes. John Logan, who would later go on to write Red, Gladiator, The Aviator, and Skyfall, crafted a script that is both gripping and poetic. The play does not sensationalize the crime but instead asks its audience to consider the nature of justice, morality, and human psychology. While the material is intense, it is also an opportunity to reflect on the ways society responds to acts of violence and the ethical dilemmas surrounding punishment.
Wilford reflects, “I think this is the first play I’ve done in which the protagonists are not necessarily meant to be likable. To ask an audience to empathize with two unlikable, uncharismatic sociopaths is almost as difficult as taking two young and charming actors and turning them into socially repugnant people that you actively root against. Even as the play asks you to resist the urge to wish death upon two murderers, it also challenges us to consider what justice truly means. It is a reminder of one of society’s oldest mantras: ‘two wrongs do not make a right.'”
Performances of Never the Sinner will take place March 13-16, 2025, at the Waterfowl Festival Building in Easton, Maryland. Tickets and additional information can be found at The Factory Arts Project’s website.
For press inquiries, please contact Maddie Megahan, Marketing Director of The Factory Arts Project, at hello@thefactoryartsproject.
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