Almost exactly one year after the initial concept for a new community theatre group in the valley, I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see our first full-length production come to life.

And what a production it is. What is the nature of right and wrong? “Crime and Punishment” is a play that prompts scrutiny within each of us, of our personal ethics and our society.

I still remember my high school English class: “Is Raskolnikov inherently good or evil?” “Is Sonia’s transgression more morally acceptable than Raskolnikov’s?” “Is Alyona’s own cruelty to blame for her death?”
To me, these questions miss the point. Closer to the point would be to ask how the potential for great good and great evil may be blended in each of us. To ask what power we have as mortals to judge what that blend is in others I think is closer still.

Achieving this milestone, our first full-length drama, has been fraught with many obstacles along the way. Despite significant challenges, this cast and crew have created something remarkable, and I am indebted to their perseverance.

It has been my honor to produce a work of such depth and gravity as Dostoyevsky’s classic masterpiece — and it has been my pleasure to direct such a wonderful and enthusiastic cast. I thank them for their marvelous efforts; I thank the technical team and my stage manager for their dedication and creativity; and I thank you for sharing in this art we have created together.

~N.R.