Photos by Michael Lamont

OPENED: January 25, 2008
EXTENDED THRU/CLOSED: March 16, 2008

CRITIC'S PICK! - Back Stage West
FOUR STARS! - Frontiers

RECOMMENDED! - LA Times
"Now in its Los Angeles premiere at the Hudson Backstage, Thrill Me proves a propitious debut for the Havok Theatre Company.  Stephen Dolginoff's two-character musical about youthful thrill killers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb may challenge the audience's powers of empathy, but director Nick DeGruccio's taut staging and wrenching performances by Stewart W. Calhoun and Alex Schemmer make us care, almost in spite of ourselves."  — F. Kathleen Foley
Feb. 1, 2008

PICK OF THE WEEK!  GO!! - LA Weekly

"...we're drawn into an erotically claustrophobic relationship between the needy Leopold and his bullying, Nietzsche-reading lover, Loeb (Alex Schemmer). Calhoun and Schemmer have just the right chemistry to make this asymmetrical relationship believable — and strangely endearing at times. Dolginoff's songs, guided by pianist Michael Paternostro, tend to be spare but affecting declarations... Director Nick DeGruccio knows the difference between thrill and shock, and keeps the evening from lapsing into Grand Guignol. He is aided by Steven Young's moody lighting plot and Tom Buderwitz's set, which is dominated by spiraling platforms that rise above a blood-spattered cyclorama."  -- Steven Mikulan, Jan. 28, 2008



Hollywood Reporter

"Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story has shown up as the inaugural presentation of Havok Theatre Company.   It is a tantalizingly good choice that resonates with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and bodes well for the company's future....you won't forget Stewart W. Calhoun's fierce performance as Nathan Leopold." -- Laurence Vittes, Jan. 30, 2008



"The production is graced by the compelling vision and astute artistry of director Nick DeGruccio and a dynamite cast of two (Stewart Calhoun and Alex Schemmer).  DeGruccio pulls no punches in depicting chemistry between the boys that's as passionate as it is deadly.  His eloquent staging seethes with erotic energy and dramatic intensity, greatly aided by the contributions of the design team: Tom Buderwitz (set), Steven Young (lighting), Rachel Myers (costumes) and Drew Dalzell (sound).  Golden-voiced Calhoun offers a mesmerizing characterization.  Schemmer brilliantly captures Loeb's steely narcissism and cruelty.  Producer Chad Borden and artistic director DeGruccio, of the new Havok Theatre Company, have launched their venture in high-flying style." - Les Spindle, IN Magazine



 "Thrill Me most definitely engrosses, captivates, and ultimately, indeed, thrills...under Nick DeGruccio’s impeccable direction, it is likely to be one of the most talked about, and praised, musicals of 2008."  --  Steven Stanley, LAStageScene.com

"Chad Borden has produced a thunderbolt for the premiere of Havok Theatre Company...  Nick DeGruccio's direction deftly catches the nuances and mood swings of the couple, enhanced by Steven Young's lighting design...  Stewart W. Calhoun finds the scheming neediness in Leopold and has a splendid voice that could easily scale much bigger shows than this.  Alex Schemmer's Dickie has the perfect decadent 1920s slouch and makes taunting and tormenting Leopold so much fun... The duets are a perfect blend."  --  Laura Hitchcock, CurtainUp.com

Photos by Michael Lamont