In 1924, there was a horrific crime and celebrated trial in Chicago. Two teenagers, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, from extremely wealthy families, kidnapped and murdered a 14-year-old boy simply for the excitement of committing “the perfect crime.”

In 1985, John Logan wrote a play about the trial, a play that is now being produced at 1st Stage — “Never the Sinner,” directed effectively by Jeremy Skidmore. It is a fascinating analysis of the amoral philosophy that led Leopold and Loeb to do what they did.