Venture into the lower depths of 19th-century St. Petersburg, where the mysteries of the Russian soul and intellect, crime and love are deeply, irrevocably entwined as we reveal the mind of a killer in his search for meaning and redemption.
It begins with a theory that very great men have a right to do very bad things if doing so allows them to bring greater benefit to humanity.
Crime + Punishment follows the fortunes of Raskolnikov, the debt-ridden and disillusioned university drop-out who devises this theory … then acts upon it. After robbing and murdering a pawnbroker he’s dehumanized as “parasite,” Raskolnikov descends into a guilt-ridden fever dream where he is plagued by the ghosts of his crime and conscience.
Bold dramaturgy, rigorous physicality, and a rich musical soundscape of Russian sacred chant and traditional folk song combine for a production epitomizing APL’s aesthetic: minimalistic and low-tech, yet full of inventive stagecraft and theatrical magic. Live music includes the otherworldly a cappella vocal harmonies for which APL has twice received Gypsy Award nominations from Seattle’s theatre critics, as well as the distinctive sound of a hurdy-gurdy. The result is a singularly theatrical translation of Dostoevsky’s classic psychological novel of alienation, duality, morality, transgression, and justice.
Ensemble
- Tyler J. Polumsky – Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
- Emily Jo Testa – Alyona Ivanovna, Pulkheria Raskolnikova
- Annie Paladino – Lizaveta, Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova
- Sara Kaus – Sonya Marmeladova
- Joseph Lavy – Marmeladov, Svidrigailov
- Zhenya Lavy – Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladova, Hurdy Gurdist
- Matt Sherrill – Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin
- Jennifer Crooks – Porfiry Petrovich
Production Team
- Director + Playwright – Joseph Lavy
- Music Director – Zhenya Lavy
- Set + Lighting Designer – Kix
- Costume Designer – Fantasia Rose
- Videographer + Tour Manager – Margaretta Campagna
Catch One of These Shows
Akron OH – World Premiere 
- Nov 30 – Dec 2, 2017, 7:30 PM
- The Balch Street Theatre, 220 S. Balch Street, Akron OH 44302
Seattle WA – Regional Premiere
- Jan 5 – 13, 2018 | 7:30 PM Thu-Sat, 2:00 PM Sun
- West of Lenin, 203 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103
TeenTix: This is a TeenTix-eligible event! Follow the regular TeenTix instructions to get your $5 tickets.
Running Time: Approx. 3 hours, with 1 intermission.
Note: This show contains 2 gunshots and simulated violence
Further Exploration
Watch the Teaser Video
Why this show features a hurdy gurdy
Why a troubling, 150-year-old novel still resonates
Acknowledgements
This project is supported, in part, by a grant from 4Culture.
