DICKIE & BABE: The Truth About Leopold & Loeb: A documentary play

by Daniel Henning

CHICAGO. 1924. Hyper-intelligent rich teens Richard “Dickie” Loeb & Nathan “Babe” Leopold are the epitome of the 1920’s “Flaming Youth” until they commit one of the most shocking crimes in U.S. the kidnap and killing of 14-year-old Bobby Franks — in the quest of proving they are Nietzschean Supermen and committing the “perfect crime”.

The crime led to world-wide publicity and the infamous Trial of the Century with legal super star Clarence Darrow giving his most impassioned plea for mercy as their defense attorney. Over the years the boys’ tale has been sensationalized — but the dark truths behind the crime have never really been told...until now.

Playwright Daniel Henning researched two years all across the country before writing this documentary play; exploring the hidden details of Leopold & Loeb’s twisted relationship and the reasons behind their bizarre crime.

“What's most distinctive about Henning's treatment is the way he enters the mind-set of these killers, linking the peculiar intimacy they shared with their pathological megalomania… The manipulative gamesmanship is frighteningly convincing… There's something hypnotic about the experience. The production… unfolds as a series of miniature tableaux, with short, sharply delineated scenes shifting between a sepia-tinged newsreel style and a more theatrically surreal approach.”
- Charles McNulty, LOS ANGELES TIMES

"A brilliant tour de force combining ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ with ‘A Rake’s Progress’…provides a lot of entertainment value for the buck… Henning's language, whether invented or taken from the court transcripts, has a vitality and glee about it that matches the unreflective nature of the killers and the high, optimistic spirits of the times, but it is Henning's superb structuring of events that makes each new development more gripping than the last. Even at the end, the audience would have been willing to go on.”
- Laurence Vittes, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“Four Stars! Everything about this edge-of-your-seat production is virtually flawless. Scandalous and mesmerizing, this depiction of the two-headed monster known as Leopold and Loeb makes for an evening of unforgettable theatre."
- Todd David Schwartz, CBS RADIO

“Both fascinating and enlightening…absorbing and well-written.”
- Terri Roberts, THEATERMANIA

“A wonderful new play, one deserving a definite future!.”
- Travis Michael Holder, ENTERTAINMENT TODAY

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2018

About the author

Daniel Henning is a director, producer, actor, and writer. His work has been seen on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, MTV and on stages throughout Southern California. He won a 2017 Telly Award for "Best Writer" for the film version of his play The Tragedy of JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare). As director and writer, his TV and film work includes MTV's Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and the film Critic's Choice. He won the NAACP Theatre Award for "Best Director of a Musical" for The Wild Party.

He is the Founding Artistic Director of Hollywood's The Blank Theatre, winning over 200 awards for his productions, including "Best Production," from L.A. Drama Critic Circle, L.A. Weekly, Ovations, N.A.A.C.P., etc. Henning has been inspirational to thousands of young artists through his creation of The Blank's Young Playwrights Festival (the only professional nationwide competition for playwrights aged 9 to 19, which he founded 27 years ago). He directed the first play by 2016 Tony Award Winner for "Best Play" Stephen Karam when Stephen was 17 and a winner in The Blank's Young Playwrights Festival.

Henning has also been an acting teacher and coach and is known for his ability to spot young talent. He has given opportunities to many young actors who later went on to success in Hollywood including Tessa Thompson, Noah Wyle, Alison Brie, Molly Shannon, Academy Award-winner Octavia Spencer, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. He coached Sarah Michelle Gellar on her auditions for the landmark TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and they shared a close personal friendship, even traveling to Australia together with family for New Year's Eve 2000 where the paparazzi photographed Henning and Gellar dancing. For several months, Henning was rumored to be dating Gellar in the Australian fan magazines (including Big Hit Magazine), which, of course, was inaccurate as Henning was traveling with his husband, Rick Baumgartner.

He is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Circle in the Square Theatre School, and American Conservatory Theatre. His work for LGBTQ Equality includes creating the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Black Cat Protests (the first major LGBTQ Demonstration in the U.S.) and Directing and Hosting the 2017 L.A. City Council LGBTQ Pride Ceremony. He was recently honored by the CA State Legislature for his work in LGBTQ Equality and nurturing the future of the Arts.

He has also narrated several audio books both non-fiction and fiction.

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine being in the room when Clarence Darrow defended two young men to secure them a sentence of life in prison instead of the death penalty. This case, a Crime of the Century, is condensed, and the highlights are re-enacted in this audiobook using a narrator and a cast of characters. It's a terrific way to brush up on history! The production is excellent and contemporary: Things that were not (and could not be) freely discussed in a public courtroom are discussed herein. The story is noted as "the true story that inspired Donna Tartt's novel, "The Secret History."
I understand this is the first of a new series of true crime audio recordings. I look forward to listening to more "TrialsoftheCentury" recreations.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @ClassicCrimeLtd, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date: 23 March 2026.