Chicago Theatre Review
Tuta Theatre’s Crime and Punishment seeks resurrection from the dirt.
TUTA Theatre, ever fearless and resourceful, went with a particularly topical play this summer: an adaptation of Dostoevsky’s CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus. This adaptation premiered at Writers Theater in 2003 and has enjoyed over 100 productions across the country and internationally from Europe to Australia and Indonesia.
You may be asking yourself why a 160+ year old story of impoverished student Raskolnikov and his twisted, grandiose theories of life and morality could still be so compelling to so many audiences around the world. The answer is, as with all the classics, the questions Raskolnikov is asking and trying to answer, are still being asked and answered today. Even more chilling, Imperialist Russia does not seem so different from 2026 America – rising prices, a poor job market and unsustainable rents sound familiar?
Raskolnikov is an intelligent, sensitive, down on his luck student. He came to the capital riding on the hopes and dreams of his family to make something of himself, but soon found law school unaffordable, and has since been sinking ever deeper into poverty and debt, paralyzed and horrified at the thought of admitting his failures. He’s also the sort of kid who is often the smartest in the room, and, after one too many days alone with his own thoughts, has developed a theory that humans can be categorized into two types: the ordinary and the extraordinary. If someone is extraordinary, then the usual things like law and order, or morality, don’t apply to them. It’s no surprise really, that he finds himself to be in that second group. After talking himself up, and skipping one too many meals, Raskolnikov decides to put his theory to the test, you know, to help mankind by removing an “obstacle” (in the form of a nasty old lady). The reality of his actions quickly leaves him horrified, and he is ushered along his desperate descent into misery by Inspector Porfiry, who decides to play a little with him, to see if he can get a confession.
The cast is made up of three actors: Associated Company Members Clifton Frei as Raskolnikov and Felix as Sonia, and Company Member Huy Nguyen as Porfiry. Frei spends the majority of the play front and center, unravelling in the literal muck as the minutes tick by. Nguyen and Felix weave in and out of his misery, sometimes playing other, minor characters. All of the actors are admirably focused and present, given the tiny theater and minimalist staging. Frei is appropriately haunted, leaning into Raskolnikov’s desperation and misery with all he has. Nguyen, as a deceptively friendly Porfiry gives the impression of a spider encircling its prey, and as Sonia’s drunken father, a broken hearted, beaten man. Felix plays all the female characters, each markedly different. Her turn as Sonia strikes a cool note every time she comes onstage, with an otherworldly, soft voice that changes the atmosphere the minute she opens her mouth.
TUTA Co-Artistic Director, and Director of this production, Jacqueline Stone, made the wise choice to strip the atmosphere as efficiently and powerfully as the adaptors did the novel. The staging itself, is in fact, one of the most powerful aspects of this production. The production team of Set Designers Tatiana Kahvegian and Keith Parham (who also doubles on light design) and Sound Designer Stefanie Senior have created a set that seems to be an outward expression of a devolving mind. The stage is a raised bed of dirt, the walls around it draped in plastic sheeting with the occasional violent looking slit, that fades off into a hallway. Frei spends the brisk, 90 minutes barefoot, groveling in the dirt and growing increasingly filthy, while Nguyen and Felix walk gently across it, supporting, supplicating or goading Raskolnikov as their characters demand. The sound does a lot of the heavy lifting too, taking the audience in and out of rooms and conversations, while the stage never changes – and Raskolnikov never escapes it, one cannot escape one’s own mind, after all.
Most unsettling of all was the creeping sensation, as the story unfolds, that nearly everything the audience witnesses could happen, even is happening, today. Unfortunately for most of us, the types who are currently acting on their ideas of superiority have significantly more resources and power than poor Raskolnikov. Ultimately though, the story of Crime and Punishment is one of the inevitability of morality. No matter how hard we may try to talk ourselves out of our basic humanity, this production seems to say, it never leaves us. It can be a thorn in our sides, causing pain till it is recognized, or in the case of Sonia, a solid foundation that keeps us grounded in the nuanced reality of existence, and in the belief that we are all capable of change, remorse and even resurrection.
Recommended
Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT is at Tuta Theatre, 4670 N Manor Ave in Chicago. May 11 – June 28, 2026 Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm
Pay-what-you-choose reservations available for $20, $45, $60, $100, available at
https://www.tutatheatre.org/crime-punishment-reservations Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.
A Swashbuckling Musical
Scaramouche
Quite likely the only recollection anyone has today of the name Scaramouche is from the 1975 song, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” by the British rock band, Queen. And for a minute there was Anthony Scaramucci, the White House communications director during Trump’s first term. But Scaramouche has a much longer history. He was one of several recognized, archetypical masked characters found in 16th-18th century comic theatrical productions. This stylized form of improvised professional theatre was called commedia dell’arte. Similar to Pierrot, Colombine and Harlequin, Scaramouche was a cunning, roguish servant character, usually costumed all in black with a white ruff. The actor portraying Scaramouche was often skilled in swordplay, which inspires this show’s description “a swashbuckling musical.”
Read MoreAlways Look on the Bright Side of Life
Monty Python’s Spamalot
Hilarious, goofy, nonstop mindless adult humor! Fantastic performances by a cast of gifted actors, singers and dancers all blessed with excellent comic timing, tireless energy and contagious enthusiasm! A musical stuffed with beautiful, catchy songs, wild choreography, gorgeous sets embellished with colorful lighting and imaginative projections, props and costumes! And, after two-and-a-half hours of giddy glee, the audience leaves the theatre with huge smiles on their faces. What’s not to like? It’s Monty Python’s SPAMALOT!
Read MoreHookman
In this play, described by its author Lauren Yee as an ‘existential slasher comedy,’ Lexi is a college freshman returning to school after break. She is also returning after the death of her friend Jess in car accident in which Lexi was driving. Her guilt and trauma become wrapped up in a local legend of the ‘Hookman,’ a psycho killer with a hook for a hand, stalking her. I don’t want to say too much more than that since I think this is one of those stories you just need to see for yourself.
Read MoreA Weekend in the Woods
The Targeted
Bringing their impressive 33rd season to a fine finale, A Red Orchid Theatre presents a powerful world premiere drama. It’s a story with so many locations that the company chose to present the production at the larger Chopin Theatre, rather than in their own intimate space on Wells Street. Scenic designer Lauren M. Nichols rises to the occasion by creating a large, practical stage set featuring an outdoor amphitheater with bench seats for the cast that brings the audience right into the play. She’s also created the interior of two cabins, complete with bunkbeds, as well as a cafeteria where guests gather for meals, craft sessions, discussions and lectures. It’s all part of a weekend in the woods with THE TARGETED.
Read MoreThe St. Olaf Way
The Golden Girls: The Cheese Pyramid
Since I’ve been such a fan for so long, it’s hard to believe that Hell in a Handbag Productions has been entertaining Chicago audiences now for a quarter of a century of fun! David Cerda’a delightful company of actors, often appearing in drag, have presented a number of original entertainments, most of them parodies of movies, plays and TV shows that are familiar to many theatergoers. One of Handbag’s most popular tropes is THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES. This gives Artistic Director, playwright and actor, David Cerda, a wide range of possible plot lines and an endless supply of comic characters and situations to explore.
Read MoreKicking and Screaming
An Enemy of the People
Imagine attending a classic play by one of drama’s most respected and brilliant international playwrights, and finding that the production is as surprisingly au courant as today’s headlines. But that’s the sign of a genius, and from another century, who’s written a great play that’s stood the test of time. And TimeLine Theatre’s brand new version of AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, adapted by Amy Herzog (MARY JANE, 4000 MILES, BELLEVILLE), is so timely that many theatergoers will think that it must’ve been written yesterday. And this extraordinary TimeLine Theatre production effectively drags Henrik Ibsen’s Victorian Era social drama kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century.
Read MoreDo You Hear the People Sing?
Les Miserables
Once again making a welcome return to Chicago, longtime fans of LES MISERABLES, as well as brand new audiences, will have another opportunity to enjoy this refreshed, updated production, but only for the next two weeks. Billed as “the final tour,” the production is based upon the most recent Broadway revival. Co-directors Laurence Connor and James Powell have beautifully guided and creatively restaged this new National Tour version. The production features a beautifully reimagined scenic design by Matt Kinley. Inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, the show’s stunning, towering sets, with projections by Finn Ross and Fifty-Nine Productions, sometimes feel almost cinematic. Gorgeously enhanced by Paul Constable’s luminous lighting and a phenomenal surround-sound design, courtesy of Mick Potter, makes this production dazzling to all the senses.
Read MoreBack in Baby’s Arms
Always…Patsy Cline
She steps onto the stage and the magic begins. Now you and I both know that we aren’t about to enjoy the real Patsy Cline in this heartfelt musical, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Dressed in one of the country/western singer’s signature cowgirl costumes, lovingly hand-sewn by her mama, Patsy is radiant, all in red. A warm welcome, like a tsunami of applause and cheering, emanates from the audience. It floods the stage as the beautiful, mega talented Chicago actress, Liz Chidester captures our hearts. Patsy Cline sings and welcomes everyone, intoning “Come On In (And Make Yourself at Home).” And for a cool two hours of pure joy and entertainment, we’re back in the late 1950’s-early 60’s, snuggling comfortably and “Back in Baby’s Arms” once more.
Read MoreUnsung Moments of Everyday Life
Do Something Pretty
Melissa Ross is a gifted young playwright who really appreciates those quiet, unsung moments of everyday life. She certainly knows how to focus on and celebrate them. Most writers ignore or shy away from such commonplace incidents, but Ms. Ross employs them to her advantage. In THINNER THAN WATER, the playwright boldly looked at a family of siblings, all with their own individual problems, as they dealt with the death of their father. In A LIFE EXTRA ORDINARY, Ms. Ross took a sweeping look at both the good and the bad moments of Annabel’s life, narrated by the young woman from her grave.
Read MoreRECOMMENDED SITES
