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Never the Sinner
In 1924, two young millionaires -- Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard Loeb -- abducted and killed fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks, horrifying a nation. Never the Sinner is John Logan's brilliant documentary play about the infamous Leopold and Loeb case, known in its time as the "crime of the century" and still one of the most notorious.Leopold and Loeb were richer than most, and smarter. They knew every hot topic of the day, from Freud to Nietzsche; they were also lovers. Considering themselves Nietzsche's "supermen, " they decided to commit the "perfect murder, " just for the thrill of it. But they proved to be considerably less than supermen, and within a matter of hours police questioners cracked their alibis. In the ensuing sensational trial, they were defended by the legendary Clarence Darrow, who got them life sentences rather than the expected execution.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
John Logan
132 books81 followersLogan was a successful playwright in Chicago for many years before turning to screenwriting. His first play, Never the Sinner, tells the story of the infamous Leopold and Loeb case. Subsequent plays include Hauptmann, about the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, and Riverview, a musical melodrama set at Chicago's famed amusement park.
His play Red, about artist Mark Rothko, was produced by the Donmar Warehouse, London in December 2009, and on Broadway, where it received six Tony Awards in mid-June, 2010, the most of any play, including best play, best direction of a play for Michael Grandage and best featured actor in a play for Eddie Redmayne. Redmayne and Alfred Molina had originated their roles in London and brought them to New York for a limited run ending in late June.
Logan wrote Any Given Sunday and the television movie RKO 281, before gaining an Academy Award nomination for co-writing the Best Picture-winner, Gladiator in 2000. He gained another nomination for writing 2004's The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese.
Other notable films written by Logan include Star Trek: Nemesis, The Time Machine, The Last Samurai, and the Tim Burton-directed musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, for which he received a Golden Globe Award.
Logan's most recent feature films include Rango, an animated feature starring Johnny Depp and directed by Gore Verbinski, the film adaptation of Shakespeare's Coriolanus directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes, and the film adaptation of The Invention of Hugo Cabret directed by Martin Scorsese. Logan co-wrote the scripts to the James Bond films, Skyfall and Spectre.
His play Red, about artist Mark Rothko, was produced by the Donmar Warehouse, London in December 2009, and on Broadway, where it received six Tony Awards in mid-June, 2010, the most of any play, including best play, best direction of a play for Michael Grandage and best featured actor in a play for Eddie Redmayne. Redmayne and Alfred Molina had originated their roles in London and brought them to New York for a limited run ending in late June.
Logan wrote Any Given Sunday and the television movie RKO 281, before gaining an Academy Award nomination for co-writing the Best Picture-winner, Gladiator in 2000. He gained another nomination for writing 2004's The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese.
Other notable films written by Logan include Star Trek: Nemesis, The Time Machine, The Last Samurai, and the Tim Burton-directed musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, for which he received a Golden Globe Award.
Logan's most recent feature films include Rango, an animated feature starring Johnny Depp and directed by Gore Verbinski, the film adaptation of Shakespeare's Coriolanus directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes, and the film adaptation of The Invention of Hugo Cabret directed by Martin Scorsese. Logan co-wrote the scripts to the James Bond films, Skyfall and Spectre.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 3, 2023
Slow start, but really gripping towards the end. Great dialogue
December 15, 2016
A fascinating and erudite look at the strange case of Leopold and Loeb, by the man who later brought us PENNY DREADFUL. Logan's early play is a quick read and a whirlwind of facts and speculation about the minds and desires of two teenage boys who murder another one as part of a sexual pact. Without becoming too heavy handed, it's also an articulate and passionate argument against the death penalty, thanks in large part to Clarrence Darrow, who becomes an 11th hour hero and personifies the thinking mind's awakening to the true definiton of mercy and compassion. Just as the case helped redefine our understanding of mental illness and awoke our sleeping consciousness in regards to the depths of the human soul and the power of forbidden passion, so to does the play embody all these things, while never getting preachy or bogged down. Excellent parts for men, with a fine supporting role for a woman, and definitely a worthy and auspicious beginning for one of 21st century America's finest writers.
February 15, 2013
This fantastic play is about the trial of Leopold and Loeb, two 19/20 year old boys who plead guilty to murder. It's something of a companion piece to "Thrill Me," which I have not yet read, but after seeing a selection of music performed from it, I'm fascinated by the story and I want to devour anything I can find on it. The characters are fascinating, partially due to the fact that they are based on real people. There's always something intriguing about delving into the mind of a sociopath, if only to see what life looks like through the eyes of a madman. Definitely recommended.
October 23, 2022
John Logan's drama is about Leopold and Loeb, two rich bored young men who decided in 1924 to kill a teenage boy, brutally and in cold blood, as a "psychological experiment," to see what it would be like to commit murder. Theirs was the crime of the century, proclaimed the media, and if other crimes have since eclipsed Leopold and Loeb's notoriety, their case still has the capacity to fascinate: here were two intelligent, otherwise rational men who somehow arrived at the conclusion that committing a random murder was not only possible but reasonable. Interestingly, it is not the crime that is most on playwright Logan's mind, though; it's the punishment: in the centerpiece of this powerful drama, defense attorney Clarence Darrow makes a well-reasoned, eloquent plea to the court to spare the lives of Leopold and Loeb.
The play is, first of all, a brilliantly constructed courtroom drama, with the first act roughly corresponding to the prosecution's case and the second act more or less the defense, filled out with flashbacks showing the crime and the events leading up to it, along with a few other scenes depicting some of the time that Leopold and Loeb spent in jail during the trial.
Never the Sinner is also an intense character study, or rather the study of two sad characters caught in an amazing symbiosis: aloof, intellectual Nathan Leopold, whose fantasy is to serve and protect the perfect man, and handsome, dangerous Richard Loeb, who dreams of breaking out of society's strictures and laws. These two feed upon one another, providing yet another level to this complex and rewarding work, for Never the Sinner is also a tale of seduction--and I'm not referring, by the way, to its depiction of a forbidden homosexual love (although this is handled masterfully). Logan takes us into the minds of his protagonists, and with them we experience the sick thrill of planning and then executing the horrific murder, as well as--powerfully and vividly--the ultimate banality and emptiness of the deed.
Finally, the play looks head-on at capital punishment. Whatever your position is on this issue, Never the Sinner gives plenty of fodder for thoughtful reconsideration and discussion, which to my mind is just about the best thing that a play can do; it also tells a terrific story, powerfully and well.
The play is, first of all, a brilliantly constructed courtroom drama, with the first act roughly corresponding to the prosecution's case and the second act more or less the defense, filled out with flashbacks showing the crime and the events leading up to it, along with a few other scenes depicting some of the time that Leopold and Loeb spent in jail during the trial.
Never the Sinner is also an intense character study, or rather the study of two sad characters caught in an amazing symbiosis: aloof, intellectual Nathan Leopold, whose fantasy is to serve and protect the perfect man, and handsome, dangerous Richard Loeb, who dreams of breaking out of society's strictures and laws. These two feed upon one another, providing yet another level to this complex and rewarding work, for Never the Sinner is also a tale of seduction--and I'm not referring, by the way, to its depiction of a forbidden homosexual love (although this is handled masterfully). Logan takes us into the minds of his protagonists, and with them we experience the sick thrill of planning and then executing the horrific murder, as well as--powerfully and vividly--the ultimate banality and emptiness of the deed.
Finally, the play looks head-on at capital punishment. Whatever your position is on this issue, Never the Sinner gives plenty of fodder for thoughtful reconsideration and discussion, which to my mind is just about the best thing that a play can do; it also tells a terrific story, powerfully and well.
July 31, 2022
Recommended for people fascinated by True Crime.
This play is based on the 1920’s “crime of the century” Leopold and Loeb. The extremely wealthy ivy-league buddies/lovers/turds that killed a young teenage boy just for the experience of committing murder and seeing if they could get away with it. They are responsible for coining the the phrase “thrill killers.”
There’s also a play about Leopold and Loeb, ‘Rope’ (made into a Hitchcock movie.) This play is more historically accurate and detailed about the case and less philosophical and dialogue driven than Rope is. I’ve always been interested in this case, and if you are too it’s worth the read, otherwise I would skip it.
This play is based on the 1920’s “crime of the century” Leopold and Loeb. The extremely wealthy ivy-league buddies/lovers/turds that killed a young teenage boy just for the experience of committing murder and seeing if they could get away with it. They are responsible for coining the the phrase “thrill killers.”
There’s also a play about Leopold and Loeb, ‘Rope’ (made into a Hitchcock movie.) This play is more historically accurate and detailed about the case and less philosophical and dialogue driven than Rope is. I’ve always been interested in this case, and if you are too it’s worth the read, otherwise I would skip it.
February 2, 2024
I heard that this play is being performed at the Muncie Civic Theater, and since I own a copy I have never read, why not find out if I would like to see it.
Maybe.
I enjoyed reading it. I would like for it to work out a bit more on why Clarence Darrow wanted to defend Leopold and Loeb. The play suggests that they were very immature. I would like to know more about how that was manifested in their behavior.
Maybe.
I enjoyed reading it. I would like for it to work out a bit more on why Clarence Darrow wanted to defend Leopold and Loeb. The play suggests that they were very immature. I would like to know more about how that was manifested in their behavior.
December 13, 2018
An excellent distillation of the Leopold and Loeb story. Very surprised PEAK TV hasn't picked this one up and run with it....yet.
September 12, 2021
A passable work of dramatic fiction based on real-world historical events. What's not to like?
April 2, 2024
guys don’t sleep on reading plays it’s lit
October 22, 2009
"I could look at them like you do, Bob. I could damn these boys for what they did. For the madness, for the brutality ... I can see the sin in all the world. And I may well hate that sin, but never the sinner."
So go the words of defense attorney Clarence Darrow, to state attorney Crowe. The scene is jazz-era Chicago, 1924, and two 19-year-olds, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, are on trial for the heinous, seemingly unrepentant murder of an acquaintance, a 14-year-old boy.
It's a true story. Leopold and Loeb harbored intellectual prowess for their years, as well as massive hubris, both, that blinded them to the fact that they were actually not Nietzsche's "ubermensch" as they fancied. Turns out they weren't so above the law, weren't perfect.
That alone is obvious by the fact that they were caught. They did not intend to be but were, and stood trial for the killing. The playbook by John Logan does well to not announce the verdict in some melodramatic courtroom scene within his pages.
Exchanges both in and outside the court between Darrow and Crowe are the benchmark addresses or monologues in this play. They get a bit talky, even for a play that at times seems to feign serving as a discourse on capital punishment, but that grandstanding is just what lawyers do, and in Chicago, and in the '20s (see: the musical Chicago, et al). The dialogue here is crisp, staccaco, but for Leopold's strangely loping opening monologue. In the hands of a top-notch director and the throats of polished performers, this show could be brought to life in a riveting way. A local production to be staged soon will do just that, with hope.
Leopold and Loeb fascinate even as they repulse. The attractive, charming Loeb seems soulless but then is let down when his mother won't have anything to do with him as Chicagoans call for his hanging; she seems to be the one person on the earth who he doesn't want to disappoint. Leopold's mother died when he was younger, and he's painted as a ruthlessly academic, learned young man with a fierce romantic bent to boot.
That the two had a sexual pact on the side of their criminal co-conspiring is intriguing, and of course given prominence. Sensational headlines delivered by adult-Newsies-styled reporters canvassing the court and interviewing the players involved tout the affair behind the crime. This was the '20s, after all, and, anyway, sex has always ruled the media.
"This is a love story," say the notes appearing ahead of the two acts. That may be, but if so, it's a rather painfully one-sided one. One of these two seems incapable of ever loving another more than himself. The murder aside, that itself is a real tragedy.
So go the words of defense attorney Clarence Darrow, to state attorney Crowe. The scene is jazz-era Chicago, 1924, and two 19-year-olds, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, are on trial for the heinous, seemingly unrepentant murder of an acquaintance, a 14-year-old boy.
It's a true story. Leopold and Loeb harbored intellectual prowess for their years, as well as massive hubris, both, that blinded them to the fact that they were actually not Nietzsche's "ubermensch" as they fancied. Turns out they weren't so above the law, weren't perfect.
That alone is obvious by the fact that they were caught. They did not intend to be but were, and stood trial for the killing. The playbook by John Logan does well to not announce the verdict in some melodramatic courtroom scene within his pages.
Exchanges both in and outside the court between Darrow and Crowe are the benchmark addresses or monologues in this play. They get a bit talky, even for a play that at times seems to feign serving as a discourse on capital punishment, but that grandstanding is just what lawyers do, and in Chicago, and in the '20s (see: the musical Chicago, et al). The dialogue here is crisp, staccaco, but for Leopold's strangely loping opening monologue. In the hands of a top-notch director and the throats of polished performers, this show could be brought to life in a riveting way. A local production to be staged soon will do just that, with hope.
Leopold and Loeb fascinate even as they repulse. The attractive, charming Loeb seems soulless but then is let down when his mother won't have anything to do with him as Chicagoans call for his hanging; she seems to be the one person on the earth who he doesn't want to disappoint. Leopold's mother died when he was younger, and he's painted as a ruthlessly academic, learned young man with a fierce romantic bent to boot.
That the two had a sexual pact on the side of their criminal co-conspiring is intriguing, and of course given prominence. Sensational headlines delivered by adult-Newsies-styled reporters canvassing the court and interviewing the players involved tout the affair behind the crime. This was the '20s, after all, and, anyway, sex has always ruled the media.
"This is a love story," say the notes appearing ahead of the two acts. That may be, but if so, it's a rather painfully one-sided one. One of these two seems incapable of ever loving another more than himself. The murder aside, that itself is a real tragedy.
January 2, 2020
This was a very interesting play about a true story that I have a particular interest in: that of Leopold and Loeb, the brilliant and wealthy cold-blooded murderers from the 1920s. Believing themselves to be Nietzschian supermen, they decided to exercise their superiority by murdering a young boy for kicks. Of course, they got caught and saw that perhaps they were not quite as far above the rest of humanity as they thought.
They were very interesting people, and I find the whole story fascinating. They play was good; rather well-written and interesting, but it approached the story as a love story between Leopold and Loeb. While this is certainly a big part of their story, it misses what I think of as the most interesting part: the darkness of human nature. Leopold and Loeb were exercising their power over another human being in the most brutal and direct way possible, whether they did that partially out of love for each other or not.
It was well done, but missed an important part of the story. Unless you already know the story and have a particular interest in it, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. But if you know some of the story and are interested in more, it's certainly worth a read (or a watch if you see it being produced).
They were very interesting people, and I find the whole story fascinating. They play was good; rather well-written and interesting, but it approached the story as a love story between Leopold and Loeb. While this is certainly a big part of their story, it misses what I think of as the most interesting part: the darkness of human nature. Leopold and Loeb were exercising their power over another human being in the most brutal and direct way possible, whether they did that partially out of love for each other or not.
It was well done, but missed an important part of the story. Unless you already know the story and have a particular interest in it, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. But if you know some of the story and are interested in more, it's certainly worth a read (or a watch if you see it being produced).
July 4, 2015
Loeb and Leopold have always been the stuff of drama - here is the epitome of reality being stranger than fiction. And John Logan has captured this drama wonderfully. The penultimate scene - wherein the teenage criminal masterminds finally reveal their insecurities - is as heartbreaking as it is redeeming. For it is not just Loeb and Loepold that is on trial; it is justice itself. If we can learn to see the humanity even in psychopaths, then perhaps there is redemption for all of us in being truly able to hate the sin but never the sinner.
P.S. I really want to learn to write a courtroom drama.
P.S. I really want to learn to write a courtroom drama.
December 2, 2015
Excellent, if not a bit wordy, script. I sat through this show about 9 times during tech, and there are still parts that just get me. And, yes, I did end up feeling a certain amount of sympathy for the boys, despite the fact that they committed murder. That's good acting for you.
This is the one script I'm counting this year for all of the ones that I've read this year:
Macbeth (Shakespeare), NTS, Mothers & Sons (Terrence McNally), Le Switch (Philip Dawkins), and Cocked (Sarah Gubbins).
This is the one script I'm counting this year for all of the ones that I've read this year:
Macbeth (Shakespeare), NTS, Mothers & Sons (Terrence McNally), Le Switch (Philip Dawkins), and Cocked (Sarah Gubbins).
August 6, 2015
I think I would have liked this play more if I didn't know anything about the Leopold and Loeb case. But I found the play to be a pretty meh overview of the case, without much of unique interest to say about the case or the killers or their trial. I can imagine it being better on it's feet, but reading it I found it a little underwhelming.
July 11, 2011
Solid. Very well done. No magic or wow factor...
August 14, 2011
I think about this play all the time.
November 14, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this play. It moves quickly and smoothly, and I could see a lot of options for staging.
October 25, 2013
Stage-managed this show, it was fantastic!! :)
August 22, 2014
One of my favorite plays. Amazing documentary/play on a true crime story.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews