The Tragicall Historie of Doctor Faustus

What is your soul worth? The Tragicall Historie of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe tells the story of the brilliant and ambitious scholar John Faustus, a man who has mastered every field of human knowledge but finds it meaningless. Drawn toward the dark arts and craving unlimited knowledge and influence, Faustus makes a literal deal with the devil: 24 years of magic and power in exchange for his mortal soul. At first, the bargain feels thrilling, but as the years pass, the thrill begins to fade. Haunted by doubt, temptation, and the possibility of redemption, Faustus is finally forced to confront the irrevocable consequences of the choice he has made.

Written over 400 years ago, Doctor Faustus still feels startlingly modern. Using simple, emblematic props and costume pieces, Rough Magic Theatre’s version of Marlowe’s rarely-performed masterpiece is a morality fable for our time: What happens if you sell your soul but lack the imagination to make the most of your bargain? Faustus’s eventual understanding that he has wasted his extraordinary opportunity is the true tragedy of the play.

Darkly funny, provocative, and surprisingly modern, Doctor Faustus explores what happens when the cost of power is everything.