Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story

Focusing on their obsessive relationship and utilizing Leopold’s 1958 parole hearing as a framework, Thrill Me reveals the series of events in 1924 Chicago that led about-to-be law students Leopold and Loeb to be forever remembered as “the thrill killers”. Nathan Leopold was passionate about Richard Loeb, who was passionate about crime and excitement. They created a secret agreement to satisfy each other’s needs. Soon Richard convinced Nathan that they embodied Nietzsche’s idea of the “Superman” and were above society. Then he drew him into his plan to lure a young boy to his death, just to prove they could get away with it. But their perfect crime unraveled due to a careless mistake. Or was it so careless?

Based on the true story, Thrill Me focuses less on the murder itself than on the relationship between Leopold and Loeb. More than 30 years on, the older Nathan speaks at a parole board hearing, recalling the crime and the dynamics of his friendship with Richard, defined largely by their shared intelligence, their passion for Nietzschean philosophy, and their desire for the ultimate thrill. With simple staging requirements, Stephen Dolginoff’s tense, two-character musical drama explores the unusual love story behind the “crime of the century”.

Learn more about the show by listening to our interview with author Stephen Dolginoff.