Seven Classic Plays

by Yuri Rasovsky (Producer), William Shakespeare, Alexandre Dumas

🎧Run Time = 11 hours & 40 minutes

BLACKSTONE AUDIOBOOKS presents the HOLLYWOOD THEATER of the EAR full cast audio production of Seven Classic Plays (Vol. 1):

Euripides' MEDEA ▪ Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST b> ▪ Molière's THE IMAGINARY INVALID ▪ Dumas' Camille ▪ Ibsen's AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE ▪ Shaw's ARMS AND THE MAN ▪ Chekhov's UNCLE VANYA

performed by: f. Murray Abrahams ▪ john glover ▪ rosemary harris ▪ nicholas kepros ▪ barry morse ▪ brian murray ▪ lois nettleton ▪ fritz weaver ▪ under the direction of yuri rasovsky

A collection that illustrates the development of European drama from ancient times to the threshold of the modern theater. A superb repertory company with distinguished guest artists has been assembled here, under the direction of a veteran producer, who has won both an Audie Award for book production and the George Foster Peabody Award for broadcasting. These full performances use all the resources of audio to full advantage while keeping the substance of the works intact, resulting in both greater intimacy and lively theatrics.

Staginess is avoided, lively theatrics enhanced, while the substance of the works remains intact. For instance, in Arms and the Man, audio makes possible the judicious integration of the author's witty scene settings, written for the published version of the play, with the play itself. Music accounts for another noteworthy aspect of these productions. The Imaginary Invalid employs the score that Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed for Moliare's own premiere. It is conducted by Steven Ovitsky, president and executive director of the Milwaukee Symphony. The Tempest, composed by Shakespeare as a musical romance, features music from Shakespeare's own production, played on period instruments by the Newberry Consort.

To ensure fidelity to the themes, atmosphere, and tone of the texts, three noted scholars from Tufts University served as advisors: Professors Peter Arnott, Sylvan Barnet, and Laurence Senelick. All seven plays were produced in the spring of 1985 with the generous assistance of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. ⭐Rasovsky's directorial genius lies in his orchestration of passion and restraint. -- Variety
⭐Yuri Rasovsky -- who wrote and produced this superior experience -- must be a genius. -- AudioFile Magazine

Genres: Classics, Plays, Fiction, Drama, Anthologies, Audiobook

MP3 CD

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Cookie M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yessirree. They were classic plays, there were seven of them and they were performed in audio fashion. Dramatically, bombastically, with musical interludes. can't you just imagine the popular stars of the early 1980s bounding around on the stage in their togas and gowns, emoting for your edification. The bounding in togas you will have to imagine. The emoting is here. Be edified. I wasn't. I majored in theater at a second-rate state uniedifier. I know when actors are not enjoying their performances. That's all I will say.

[Hannah Schumacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously the best way to engage with these plays would have been to watch them performed but for what this was it’s very good! Each piece had a little bio section for the playwright and other info, and all of them appeared to have been recorded by the same group of people in 1985. I liked being exposed to new plays for the first time and widening my horizons lol

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent performances. I didn’t love every play but appreciated each one. My favorites? Madea, An Enemy of the People, and Arms and the Man.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice sounds for most of the plays

I liked the translation used for Medea, it was a bit hard to hear the actors a few times though.

Dumas' play, oh my...

I didn't like parts of Enemy of the People as a play, the part about the people in the Hills needing a veterinarian and not a doctor bothered me

Uncle Vanya is depressing

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because I hated a couple plays I couldn't give this a better rating. Some were ok. A few were excellent.

[Charissa Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the audio version of these plays. Well done.

[Seamus McQuaid · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great selection of plays. Really helps to build your knowledge of theatre, and widen your understanding beyond west end musicals etc. For those who want to think and not just lay back and be entertained.

[Vicky Liu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection was a great introduction to some of the most famous playwrights and plays in history. I found the collection while looking for audiobook versions of Shakespeare's plays. While I liked the Tempest, I actually enjoyed most of the other plays even more. Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People" was probably my favorite due to its subject matter. It raised some great questions about the role of truth in governance and I feel it's particularly applicable to today's debates on Global Warming. Euripides's "Medea" was my second favorite. I remember finding this play absurd when I read it back in high school but this production here with the sung chorus and lovely music was wonderful. And now that I'm a wife and mother myself, I can much better appreciate Medea's situation.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was quite refreshing to listen to these seven plays. The production, the acting are all first rate. I have seen the Tempest performed several times, and the audio, while good will never replace the visual. However, the other seven plays did well as audio plays. I have read all by Uncle Vanya and A Man at Arms, but hearing them performed was quite nice. I recommend this to anyone interested in variety from the typcial audiobook.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't understand many classics, but I continued to the end. My favorite of the collection was "An Enemy of the People" by Ibsen. I also watched the B&W video of the 1966 Arthur Miller adaptation and intend to watch videos of some of the other plays to see if I can follow them better.

[Big H · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to revisit the plays that I read during my high school years and to actually hear them read/performed out loud.

[Pritika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book on Audible. Loved the plays, rendition and the production.