'Saints, Sinners & Serial Killers': Boston crimes make for great storytelling at the Wilbur

Marshfield author Casey Sherman and his writing partner, Dave Wedge, of Milton, are living a life of crime.

The bestselling crime-writing duo is “lifting the veil” on some of their darkest tales for a live theatrical performance of their popular podcast, “Saints, Sinners & Serial Killers.”

The live show hits the stage at Boston’s Wilbur theater on April 20, with local actors bringing to life the twists and turns of four true-crime cases. They include James “Whitey” Bulger, the former South Boston crime boss who was killed in federal prison in 2018, and Albert DeSalvo, the self-confessed Boston Strangler.

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“The audience is not just going to be hearing the words that Dave and I have written, but they’re going to be hearing these notorious criminals in their own words,” Sherman said. “Whitey Bulger … describes how he was arrested in Santa Monica. It’s a really visceral moment.”

For Sherman, the DeSalvo material is most personal. He is the nephew of Mary Sullivan, believed to be the Boston Strangler's last victim. Thirteen Boston-area women, ages 19 to 67, were sexually assaulted and killed between 1962 and 1964, crimes that terrorized the region and grabbed national headlines. All the victims were strangled with articles of their own clothing. In 2003, Sherman published "A Rose for Mary," which tells the story of his search for the man who killed his aunt.

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Some of the dialogue for the Strangler section of the show was pulled from Sherman’s recent discovery of 40 letters DeSalvo wrote to a Braintree family he befriended in the prison gift shop.

“He used to sell choker necklaces, if you can believe that,” Sherman said. “He was writing the entire family letters for over a full year, not only Mom and Dad but the teenage daughter. And those letters were a little creepy.”

The missives reveal DeSalvo’s plan to recant his confession. They also “humanize him a little,” which Sherman admits is “tough for me to say given my connection to Mary’s case.”

Hear, hear: Boston crimes make for great storytelling in new podcast

Sherman and Wedge are veteran investigative reporters. The script for “Saints, Sinners & Serial Killers LIVE!” is culled from many of their books, including “Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture & Killing of America's Most Wanted Crime Boss”; “Bad Blood: Freedom & Death in the White Mountains,” about a mysterious police shooting in Franconia, New Hampshire; and “The Last Days of John Lennon,” written with James Patterson, about the murder of the Beatles icon.

The performance runs two hours with an intermission. Sherman describes it as “four-dimensional, true-crime storytelling” with video and audio clips and other surprises.

“Dave and I are seated at a table almost like an anchor desk. … We’re going to be playing a lot with lighting and making sure that there is an incredibly (captivating) mood. We also may or may not have actors in the audience at various times,” Sherman said.

The cast has been rehearsing for weeks on a soundstage at Marina Studios in Quincy. Sherman promises the show will take audiences beyond the whodunit.

“We get into the mind of a killer, but also explore what it’s like being a victim or survivor. You always say to yourself, ‘What would I do in that situation?’ Well, we are going to be able to show you with complete authenticity what the people in these cases have done.”

The performance will be directed by Ian Barrett and co-produced by Milton’s Kris Meyer (“Super Troopers 2”). Featured actors, many of whom have had roles in movies filmed in Massachusetts, include Patty O’Neil (“Stronger”); David Pridemore (“The Finest Hours” and “The Tender Bar”); Alison Wachtler (“Chappaquiddick”), Mike Southworth (“Same Kind of Different as Me”); and Gary Tanguay (“Don’t Look Up”).

Sherman and Wedge also wrote "Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy," which was the basis of the 2016 movie "Patriots Day," starring Mark Wahlberg. Wedge is a former Boston Herald reporter and has covered presidential elections, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the Station nightclub fire. His most recent book is "Riding with Evil," about an ATF agent from Massachusetts who infiltrated an outlaw motorcycle gang.

Sherman, a former WBZ-TV news producer, also wrote the Coast Guard rescue drama "The Finest Hours," which was adapted into a feature film starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck.

'Saints, Sinners & Serial Killers LIVE!'

When: 7:30 p.m. April 20

Where: The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston

Tickets: $30, or $52 to add a VIP meet-and-greet with Sherman and Wedge

Info: 617 248-9700 or thewilbur.com

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Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Local podcast 'Saints, Sinners & Serial Killers' stages live show