Originally staged in the Teatro Español in 1901, Electra is a controversial Spanish drama that documents the trials and tribulations of its innocent heroine. Electra is a young woman of unknown parentage who is raised in a convent in France and, after the death of her mother Eleuteria, adopted by her aunt and uncle. Electra soon falls in love with the scientist Maximo, but an intricate web of rumors and lies threatens to ruin their relationship. In this play, Benito Pérez Galdós tackles a number of hot-button themes: fanaticism, superstition, social justice, rationalism, and the powers of science. - Summary by ChuckW
Cast list:
Electra: Amanda Friday
Evarista, wife of Don Urbano: Sarah Terry
Maximo: KHand
Don Salvador Pantoja: Negatron
The Marquis of Ronda: ToddHW
Don Leonardo Cuesta, a broker: Anthony
Don Urbano Garcia Yuste: Phil Schempf
Mariano, assistant in the laboratory: Eden Rea-Hedrick
Gil, a mathematician: Availle
Balbina, an old servant: Etel Buss
Patros, a young servant: CJ Plog
Jose, an old manservant: om123
Sister Dorotea: Beth Thomas
A Workman: David Olson
The Shade of Eleuteria: Mary Kay
Narrator: Rapunzelina
Editor: ToddHW
5 episodes
A Yorkshire Tragedy: Not So New as Lamentable and True (1619) tells the gruesome tale of Walter Calverly who stabbed his wife and killed his two young sons in April 1605. This recording is based on the text of the second quarto, which was attributed to William Shakespeare on its title page. This transcription is based on the 1619 quarto at the Boston Public Library. Students completed the transcription in the fall of 2013 for English 422 (Seminar on Renaissance Drama: Gender and Print) taught by Professor Tara Lyons at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.
Cast list:
Narrator: Michaela Cook
Raphe: Jen Dempsey
Oliver: Kaitlyn Kirk
Sam: Samantha Brescia
Wife: Stephanie Cunha
Husband: King Indeed
Gentleman 1: Melanie Lavoie
Gentleman 2: Erik Isaacson
Gentleman 3: Megan Gregoire
Servant: Emily Heroux
Master: Kelsey Wilbur
Son: Emma Cornila
Lusty Servant: Nichole T. Colleton
Maid: Sherrie Sousa
Knight: Melissa Jordan
1 episodes
Cain: A Mystery is Lord Byron's retelling of the classical Biblical story from the point of view of its antagonist. Undoubtedly influenced by Milton's Paradise Lost, Byron's Cain is defiant and questioning. In trying to come to terms with the mortality humanity has been punished with, he comes face to face with Lucifer, who takes him to the "Abyss of Space," shows him a vision of Earth's violent natural history, and gives him a true understanding of death. Upon his return, a devastated Cain carries out the familiar end of his tragedy. Cain: A Mystery is a closet drama, a popular form for Romantic writers, where the script is not intended to be performed onstage, but rather read aloud with a small group. - Summary by Sarah Terry
With the voices of:
alanmapstone as Adam,
Peter Tucker as Cain,
Beth Thomas as Abel,
Libby Gohn as the Angel of the Lord,
Mike Cantrell as Lucifer,
TriciaG as Eve,
Mary Kay as Adah,
Amanda Friday as Zillah,
and narrated by Availle.
3 episodes
Like Euripides' Trojan Women, this play takes place after the sack of Troy. Hecuba, widow of King Priam, suffers the loss of her daughter Polyxena and her son Polydore, and is hungry for revenge on those who have wronged her. Summary by Elizabeth Klett
Cast of Characters:Ghost of Polydore: Rob BoardHecuba: Elizabeth KlettChorus: RapunzelinaPolyxena: Kristin GjerløwUlysses: alanmapstoneTalthybius: ToddAttendant: Mary KayAgamemnon: Larry WilsonPolymestor: davidprNarrator: MaryAnn
2 episodes
In accordance with the advice of the god Apollo, Orestes has killed his mother Clytemnestra to avenge the death of his father Agamemnon at her hands. Despite Apollo’s earlier prophecy, Orestes finds himself tormented by Erinyes or Furies to the blood guilt stemming from his matricide. The only person capable of calming Orestes down from his madness is his sister Electra. To complicate matters further, a leading political faction of Argos wants to put Orestes to death for the murder. Orestes’ only hope to save his life lies in his uncle Menelaus, who has returned with Helen after spending ten years in Troy and several more years amassing wealth in Egypt. In the chronology of events following Orestes, this play takes place after the events contained in plays such as Electra by Euripides or The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus, and before events contained in plays like The Eumenides by Aeschylus and Andromache by Euripides. As Buckley's translation of the argument concludes, "The play is among the most celebrated on the stage, but infamous in its morals; for, with the exception of Pylades, all the characters are bad persons." - Summary by Wikipedia and Theodore BuckleyCast List:Electra: Elizabeth KlettHelen: Beth ThomasHermione: Mary KayChorus of Argive Women: Kristin GjerløwOrestes: ToddMenelaus: Bruce PirieTyndarus: Algy PugPylades: Rob BoardMessenger: AvaillePhrygian/Semi-Chorus: April WaltersApollo: Phil SchempfNarrator: Lydia
2 episodes
Marion de Lorme is a play about a famous French courtesan with the same name, known for her relationships with the important men of her time. ( Kristingj) Cast list:
Marion de Lorme: Kristin Gjerløw
Didier: KHand
Louis XIII: Ted Delorme
Marquis de Nangis: ToddHW
Marquis de Saverny: Beth Thomas
L'Angely: John Burlinson
M. de Laffemas: davidpr
Duke de Bellegarde: AnttiV
Marquis de Brichanteau: Joseph Tabler
Count de Gassé: Peter Tucker
Viscount de Bouchavannes: Jennifer Fournier
Chevalier de Rochebaron: ToddHW
Count de Villac: alanmapstone
Chevalier de Montpesat: Owen Cook
Duke de Beaupréau: alanmapstone
Viscount de Rohan: DrPGould
Abbé de Gondi: MaryAnn
Count de Charnacé: David Purdy
Scaramouche: Leanne Yau
Gracieux: Jennifer Fournier
Taillebras: AnttiV
Councilor: Jennifer Fournier
A Lackey: Lydia
A voice: Jessie Yun
An usher: Anna Simon
Captain of the district: David Purdy
Dame Rose: Melanie T
First Workman: Melanie T
Second Workman: ToddHW
Third Workman: AnttiV
Guard 1: MaryAnn
Guard 2: ToddHW
Guard 3: David Purdy
Halberdier: Jennifer Fournier
Musketeer: Leanne Yau
Registrar: Leanne Yau
The Jailor: Lydia
The Turnkey: Anna Simon
Town Crier: Leanne Yau
Narrator: Michele Eaton
Editing: linny
5 episodes
Mother Elizabeth Sawyer is a poor, lonely, and unfairly ostracized old woman with nothing left to lose. Frank is a poor farmer who intends to marry his beloved Winnifred, who is pregnant with his child, but is pressured to marry Susan, the rich yeoman's daughter. Young Cuddy Banks is a clown who pines after a girl who doesn't love him. When Mother Sawyer turns to witchcraft after being unjustly accused of it, a talking devil-dog named Tom (performed by a human actor) comes to her aid, becoming her familiar and only friend. Though she intends to get her revenge, little does she know many of those around her are only too willing to sell their souls to the devil all by themselves. The play was inspired by the real-life story of Elizabeth Sawyer, who had been executed for witchcraft on 19 April 1621, and draws heavily on a pamphlet by Henry Goodcole, The wonderful discoverie of Elizabeth Sawyer, Witch (1621). While the pamphlet may be very ready to capitalize on the sensational story of a witch and portray Sawyer as simply a bad woman, the play does not permit an easy and comfortable demonization of her. It presents her as a product of society rather than an anomaly in it. - Summary by Mary Kay
CastNarrator: LydiaCWMother Elizabeth Sawyer: ElizabbyAnne: NewgatenovelistSusan: KittyKatherine: KristingjWinnifred: glorianaSir Arthur Clarington: HamletOld Thorney / Hamluc: unreadpagesCarter: ToddHWWarbeck: jburlinsonSomerton: SalvationistFrank Thorney: Dave in the FaxOld Banks: alanmapstoneCuddy Banks: BlueFunkDog, aka Tom: RobBoardRatcliffe: McFarlaneJustice / Constable: dlolso21First Clown / First Countryman: KhaghbboommmSecond Clown / Second Countryman: catroseThird Clown / Third Countryman: leanneyauyauFourth Clown / Sawgut: HamletEdited by: carteki and linny
5 episodes
In 1830s Paris, four struggling Bohemian artists: the poet Rodolfo, the painter Marcello, the musician Schaunard, and the philosopher Colline, live poorly, but happily. On Christmas Eve, to celebrate, the four split the month's rent and decide to go out drinking in the Latin Quarter. Rodolfo stays behind to finish a poem, when their frail neighbor, Mimi, knocks on the door. An equally poor seamstress, she begs him to light her candle. In an instant, his candle goes out as well, and Mimi drops her key in the dark. As they search for it, they fall in love. And thus, a tragic love begins, as tuberculosis threatens to tear Mimi away from person and people she has come to love. Originally written in Italian, but translated into English, this libretto is the base for one of Giacomo Puccini's most beloved and often performed operas. It is also the inspiration of the famous 1994 rock musical and 2005 movie Rent by Jonathan Larson. This recording is a dramatic reading. Summary by Mary Kay.
Cast List:
Narrator: Kalynda
Rudolph: Tomas Peter
Schaunard: alanmapstone
Benoit: Donald Gilmore
Mimi: Lydia and Linda Olsen Fitak
Marcel: ToddHW
Colline & Sargant: Nemo
Musetta: Eva Davis
Parpignol: Joseph Tabler
Alcindoro de Mitonneaux: Jason in Panama
Customs House Official: Algy Pug
Chorus Members: Donald Gilmore,
Leanne Yau,
Grace Keller Scotch,
Algy Pug,
MaryAnn,
Kieren Metts and
Nemo
Editors: Linny,
Devorah Allen and
Eva Davis
Prooflisteners: afutterer and NemoR
5 episodes
The Broken Heart stands next to ‘Tis Pity She's a Whore as Ford's most popular drama. All is not right in Sparta because of, as is typical in this era of tragedies, the issue of marriage. In brief, Penthea wishes to marry Orgilus, but her brother Ithocles gets involved and bans them from doing so. He forces her to marry Bassanes, an abusive brute who happens to be wealthier than Orgilus. Ithocles then realises what he's done wrong and tries to get his friend Prophilus to marry Orgilus's sister Euphrania. Ithocles himself wants to marry the princess of Sparta, Calantha, who chooses him over her current betrothed, her cousin Nearchus. Thus begins a shocking cycle of revenge and recrimination... with predictably grisly consequences. (Charlotte Duckett & ChuckW)Cast list:
Amyclas, King of Laconis: davidpr
Ithocles, a Favourite: Stuart Partin
Orgilus, Son of Crotolon: Tomas Peter
Bassanes, a jealous Nobleman: Hamlet
Armostes, a Counsellor of the State: Mike Harris
Crotolon, another Counsellor: Khaghbboommm
Prophilus, Friend of Ithocles: LindaB
Nearchus, Prince of Argos: alanmapstone
Tecnicus, a Philosopher: tovarisch
Hemophil, a Courtier: Anna Simon
Amelus, friend to Nearchus: ToddHW
Phulas, Servant to Bassanes: David Purdy
Calantha, Daughter of Amyclas: Sonia
Penthea, Sister of Ithocles and Wife of Bassanes: Charlotte Duckett
Euphranea, Daughter of Crotolon, a Maid of honour: KHand
Christalla, a Maid of honour: sawasawaya
Grausis, Overseer of Penthea: Availle
Groneas, a Courtier: K. Adrian Stroet
First Servant: Availle
Philema, a Maid of honour: Leanne Yau
Stage Directions: Chuck Williamson
Editor: Chuck Williamson
5 episodes
When Julius Caesar returns to Rome from conquering the Gauls, Cassius and his friends are worried that he will try to seize power and make himself emperor. Cassius must act fast. He gathers Brutus, Cinna, and others to stop Julius Caesar and save the Roman Republic! This play was recorded in two weeks as part of Librivox's celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. Summary by Esther ben Simonides
Cast List:Narrator: Peter Why
Flavius, Casca, Volumnius: Maria KasperMarullus, Cinna the Poet, Poet, Dardanius: Ray KasperFirst Commoner, Decius Brutus, Fourth Citizen, First Soldier, Titinius,: Tomas PeterSecond Commoner, Soothsayer, Octavius: Charlotte DuckettJulius Caesar, Strato: Beth ThomasMark Antony: Esther ben SimonidesCalpurnia, Second Citizen, Messala: SoniaBrutus: LindaBCassius: HamletCicero, Cato: Paul HuxleyCinna the Politician: Anna SimonLigarius, Popilius, Pindarus: Phil SchempfLucius, Third Citizen, Second Soldier,: GabyPublius: BrianMetellus Cimber, Artemidorus,: John BurlinsonTrebonius: KhaghbboommmPortia: LydiaServant, Lepidus, Clitus: Lian PangFirst Citizen, Claudius, Third Soldier, Messenger: RachelLucilius: RoohiVarro: Tony AddisonAudio Edited by: Rachel, Maria Kasper, Gaby
5 episodes
Miss Sara Sampson, geschrieben von Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, gilt als das erste bürgerliche Trauerspiel der neueren deutschen Literatur. Es wurde 1755 uraufgeführt und begründete Lessings Ruf als Dramaturg.
Die junge und tugendhafte Sara Sampson verliebt sich in den Lebemann Mellefont und brennt mit ihm durch. Das Ziel ist Frankreich, wo sie heiraten wollen. Mellefont zögert aber, und in einem Gasthaus en route muß er sich seiner langjährigen Geliebten Marwood stellen. Diese versucht mit allen Mitteln den treulosen Liebhaber zurückzugewinnen, aber als nicht einmal die gemeinsame Tochter Arabella den Mellefont umstimmen kann, greift sie zur Intrige...
Die Rollen wurden gelesen von:
Mellefont Boris
Marwood, Mellefonts alte Geliebte Availle
Arabella, ein junges Kind, der Marwood Tochter Kalynda
Sir William Sampson Friedrich
Miß Sara, dessen Tochter Kitty
Norton, Bedienter des Mellefont KlausN
Hannah, Mädchen der Marwood EvaK
Waitwell, ein alter Diener des Sampson Gavenport
Betty, Mädchen der Sara zwergwolf
Der Bediente rhigma
Der Gastwirt catharmaiden
Erzähler CurlyM
Audioschnitt von redaer
5 episodes
Macbeth cuenta una historia de crimen y castigo entreverada de brujería y elementos sobrenaturales. Amparado en las engañosas profecías de las Hermanas Fatídicas, brujas o diosas del destino, Macbeth decide asesinar a su rey y tomar la corona. Consciente del horror al que se entrega, forja su terrible destino y se deja poseer por el mal que nace del ansia de poder, creyéndose invencible y eterno. Esta obra tenebrosa e inquietante, de acción vertiginosa, es también profundamente introspectiva. A través de un lenguaje metafórico y sensorial, la obra indaga en lo prohibido, explora la transgresión y ofrece la oportunidad única de compartir la vida interior de un asesino, con su horror y su misterio. - Summary by Phileas Fogg
5 episodes
Euripides' Bacchae tells of Dionysus, the God, come to the city of Thebes, there to drive mad those who refuse participation in his ecstatic rites, sing and dance on the mountainside and worship him as God. A family tale as well as a sacrificial rite, in it Dionysus drives his own aunts mad and lures his cousin, Pentheus, cross-dressed as a woman, to a humiliating death at his own mother's hands. An extraordinarily beautiful, utterly terrifying tale. (Summary by Tony Addison)
3 episodes
Halvard Solness is a master architect who has ruthlessly forged a preëminent career without regard for the feelings of those around him. In spite of this unscrupulous path of life, his conscience is still painfully alive, burdening him with guilt for past choices. He lives a tormented existence, fearful not only that he is going mad but also that he has unconsciously been in league with demonic powers in order to reach his present status. His long-suffering wife and his mistress try to deal with him in his fragile state while not being destroyed themselves. Into this fraught situation suddenly arrives the dangerous Hilda Wangel, an eldritch young woman claiming a special relationship with Solness from his past.
One of the five great plays of Ibsen’s final period, “The Master Builder” is laden with layers of symbolic significance. Like most Ibsen works, it begins quietly with dialogue between quite ordinary people and only gradually reveals its depths of meaning and power. Summary by Expatriate
3 episodes
All for Love is widely considered to be John Dryden's finest work, dramatic or otherwise. A tragedy written in blank verse, it retells the story of Roman general Marc Antony's love affair with the alluring Egyptian queen Cleopatra and their eventual double-suicide. Compared to the more famous rendition of the tale by William Shakespeare, however, which is grand and hectic in terms of setting, Dryden chooses instead to focus in on the lovers' last days in Alexandria as the threat of their defeat looms and their legacies are contested. The result is a swelling, elegant, emotional drama that perceptively considers such themes as loyalty and love, fidelity in marriage, the lasting endurance of friendship, and even the tenuous construct of masculinity. In short, it's truly a gem of the Restoration repertoire. - Summary by Tomas Peter
Cast List:
Mark Antony: Tomas PeterVentidius: Peter TuckerDolabella: Phil SchempfAlexas: Dafni MaSerapion: Alan MapstoneMyris: Chuck WilliamsonGentleman 1: Mike HarrisGentleman 2: ToddHWCleopatra: Beth ThomasOctavia: SoniaCharmion: Leanne YauIras: KHandAgrippina: Zoe TrangAntonia: Jenna EleniNarrator: Rob BoardEditor: ToddHW
5 episodes
Considered by her contemporaries a playwright “second only to Shakespeare,” Joanna Baillie was one of the most critically acclaimed writers of the Romantic Era. The Plays on the Passions, first published in 1798, stands as her undeniable magnum opus: a multivolume series of tragedies and comedies exploring the overruling passions of the mind.
Orra: A Tragedy in Five Acts, which comes from that series' third volume, is Joanna Baillie’s haunting meditation on fear and madness. It is gothic melodrama par excellence. Set in fourteenth century Switzerland, Baillie's play skillfully intertwines psychological horror with early feminist thought. Orra, in love with Theobald, is exiled to a haunted castle in the Black Forest after rejecting a marriage proposal from her ward's son. She is further threatened by the nefarious machinations of Rudigere, a pathologically jealous knight whose desire for Orra verges on obsession. Then there’s the castle itself, a dark and gothic abode that soon brings Orra to the brink of abject terror.
Will Orra survive her expulsion into the Black Forest—or will she descend further and further into madness? ( ChuckW)
Cast list:
Orra: Availle
Theobald: ToddHW
Rudigere: Tomas Peter
Glottenbal: Craig Franklin
Hughobert: Roger Melin
Hartman: DrPGould
Maurice: Larry Wilson
Eleonora: Eva Davis
Cathrina: Sonia
Franko: Nemo
Urston: RecordingPerson
Alice: Leanne Yau
1st Servant: Sandra Schmit
2nd Servant: TJ Burns
1st Outlaw: Owen Cook
2nd Outlaw / Soldier: David Olson
Vassal: Joseph Tabler
Attendant: Victor Villarraza
Stage Directions: Chuck Williamson
Editor: Chuck Williamson
5 episodes
Based on Aphra Behn's 1688 novel (which is one of the earliest novels in the English language), Thomas Southerne's Oroonoko is seen by scholars today as the driving force that kept Behn's work from fading into obscurity. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it was considered even more popular than the novel, presenting theatergoing audiences with a highly touching tale of pathos and tragedy involving the eponymous prince-turned-slave and his undying devotion to his beloved wife, Imoinda. However, in this version, unlike in Behn's novel, Imoinda is a white woman, and there is also a comic subplot involving the husband-hunting Welldon sisters that caters to Restoration tastes (though in later productions, this subplot was removed altogether). This LibriVox production presents the play as it was first written, and in doing so, brings to the fore a number of interesting themes, such as the importance of individual liberty; the infallibility of true love; and the quick wit and determination of strong, independent women. Summary by Tomas PeterCast List:Oroonoko: ToddHWAboan: Larry HayesLieutenant-Governor of Surinam / Slave: Algy PugBlanford: Tomas PeterStanmore: Jason in PanamaJack Stanmore: KurtCaptain Driver: Roger MelinDaniel Lackitt / Hottman / Second Planter: NemoImoinda: Sandra SchmitWidow Lackitt: Leanne YauCharlotte Welldon: Beth ThomasLucy Welldon / Women Slaves: SoniaFirst Planter: Melanie TThird Planter: PaezraFourth Planter: Thomas A. CopelandSinging Slave: Alan MapstoneServant: Devorah AllenNarrator / Women Slaves: Eva DavisEditor: Tomas Peter
5 episodes
The Gamester is Edward Moore's most famous work, and while it has fallen into relative obscurity in the last century, at the time it marked an important shift in the staging of eighteenth century tragedy. More specifically, it was one of the first plays to depict bourgeois suffering through the valence of moral values, moving the genre away from the lofty depiction of kings and empires toward something much closer to home for middle-class audiences. As such, the play depicts the trials and tribulations of Beverley, a dissolute gambler whose uncontrollable addiction has endangered the financial security of his household. Unbeknownst to him, however, is the fact that his money is being pocketed by a cadre of villainous sharpers led by the Machiavellian Stukely, who has designs on Beverley's wife and pretends to be his concerned friend. What follows is a drama that, while not possessing the greatest artistic merit, nevertheless affects us as keenly as it did the people who saw its first performance at the Drury Lane Theater on February 7, 1753. - Summary by Tomas Peter
Cast list:
Beverley: ToddHW
Lewson: TJ Burns
Stukely: Tomas Peter
Jarvis: Alan Mapstone
Bates: Joseph Tabler
Dawson: Son of the Exiles
Mrs. Beverley: Linda Olsen Fitak
Charlotte: Eva Davis
Lucy: Sonia
Waiter: Nemo
Narrator: Rob Board
Editor: Tomas Peter
5 episodes
Known for its heartrending emotion and shocking violence, The Tragedy of King Lear is seen as one of Shakespeare's towering masterpieces. It tells the tale of the ageing King Lear, a British monarch who disposes of his vast kingdom by giving bequests to his two eldest daughters when they flatter his vanity. Unbeknown to him, these daughters hide cold and unfeeling hearts; the only daughter truly worthy of his grace, Cordelia, is shunned and later exiled when she refuses to play her sisters' game. Lear's rash decision precipitates a series of events that all cascade into the realm of overbearing misery. Madness (both real and feigned), torture, stormy weather, sibling rivalry and the threat of war are but some of the things you can expect from this extraordinary work, all brought about by a great man who falls from the heights of power due to a single moment of irrationality.And to perform it all? Three men (Craig Franklin, Tomas Peter, and Brad "Hamlet" Filippone) and one woman (Sonia), determined to give you a performance of this moving play that you will never forget. You thought you knew your Shakespeare? Well, think again! - Summary by Tomas Peter
Cast list:
Brad “Hamlet” Filippone: Narrator; Earl of Kent / Caius; Duke of Albany; King of France; Curan; Old Man; Captain; First Servant to Cornwall & French Messenger.
Tomas Peter: Earl of Gloucester; Edmund; Goneril; Fool; Duke of Burgundy; Physician; Knight; Second Servant to Cornwall & Second Officer.
Sonia: Regan; Edgar / Poor Tom; Cordelia; Oswald; Third Servant to Cornwall & First Officer.
Craig Franklin: King Lear; Duke of Cornwall; Gentleman; Messenger & Herald.
6 episodes
The Dream is Joanna Baillie’s gothic, proto-Lynchian meditation on fear, guilt, and the prophetic power of dreams. In the cloistered confines of a Swiss monastery, a small group of monks share the same prophetic dream: a forlorn specter reaches out to them with a mysterious—and potentially life-threatening—ultimatum. The dream comes every night, and yet its true import remains hazy and unknown. But when these dreams lead them to a buried corpse, the monastery soon tumbles down a blood-spattered path of vengeance, betrayal, and unbridled terror.
- Summary by ChuckW
Stage Directions: Sandra SchmitJerome: GauguinBenedict: ToddHWPaul: TJ BurnsOsterloo: Tomas PeterPrior: Larry WilsonLeonora: SoniaAgnes: AvailleMorand: Chuck WilliamsonWovelreid: Voxandis3rd Peasant (Woman) / 1st Woman / Sexton / The Imperial Ambassador: Leanne YauPeasant / Lay-Brother / The First Gentleman: DrPGould4th Peasant (Old Woman) / 2nd Executioner: April60901st Peasant / 1st Servant / 1st Executioner: Foon2nd Peasant / 2nd Servant / 1st Monk: TriciaGMonk: Jim Locke1st Soldier: Roger Melin1st Officer: Eva Davis2nd Soldier: alanmapstone3rd Soldier: Nemo
3 episodes
The second original tragedy written by Gothic writer Matthew Lewis, Adelgitha; or, The Fruits of a Single Error is a markedly more serious affair than his melodramatic output, dealing as it does with a fallen woman who is mercilessly blackmailed by a ruthless tyrant when she spurns his advances. Set in Otranto during the High Middle Ages, and featuring fictionalized depictions of historical rulers Robert Guiscard (of the Normans) and Michael Ducas (of Byzantium), Adelgitha is an archetypal Gothic drama that, while not especially refined or meritorious in terms of quality, still manages to thrill in that deliciously overwrought way that Lewis knew how to sell. Sit down with it during a stormy night, turn off the lights, and prepare yourself for a few hours of treachery, murder, madness and despair! - Summary by Tomas Peter
Michael Ducas, Emperor of Byzantium: Tomas PeterRobert Guiscard, Prince of Apulia: Larry WilsonLothair, a Norman knight: ToddHWAlciphron, a Grecian nobleman: Sam MonsenDercetus, a Grecian nobleman: TJ BurnsRainulf, an officer of Guiscard: Son of the ExilesJulian, an officer of Guiscard: Alan MapstoneAdelgitha, Princess of Apulia: Leanne YauImma, Princess of Byzantium: Devorah AllenThe Abbess of St. Hilda: Sandra SchmitClaudia, an Italian lady: SoniaChorus: Roger MelinFemale Peasants: Eva Davis & April6090Narrator: FoonEditor: ToddHW
5 episodes
The History of Troilus and Cressida has long baffled critics and audiences alike for its inconsistent tone, which ranges from bawdy comedy to somber tragedy, as well as its decidedly unheroic and unsympathetic cast of characters. It is also a work with a multivalent focus, jumping between different subplots and locations so that even the titular characters become lost in the shuffle of warcraft, manipulation, betrayal, and thwarted machismo. Not only do we follow the young Trojan warrior Troilus on his quest to woo the noncommittal Cressida, but also the Greek leader Agamemnon and his plot to sway the proud Achilles into battle, as well as the scurrilous fool Thersites, who rails against the hypocrisy of everyone involved in a war born (and continued) out of vanity and a bunch of overactive libidos. It is a play that caustically skewers the romance and valour of the Trojan War, as told by the likes of Homer, Chaucer, and Lydgate, while experimenting with the dramatic form in such a way that modern resonances can be found even today.And to perform it all? Three men (Craig Franklin, Tomas Peter, and Brad "Hamlet" Filippone) and one woman (Sonia), determined to give you a performance of this peculiar "problem play" that you will never forget. You thought you knew your Shakespeare? Well, think again! - Summary by Tomas Peter
Cast list:
Tomas Peter: Narrator; Troilus; Achilles; Ulysses; Calchas; Deiphobus; Servant to Troilus; Fourth Soldier.
Brad “Hamlet” Filippone: Prologue; Agamemnon; Hector; Diomedes; Thersites; Alexander; Antenor; Servant to Paris; Third Soldier.
Craig Franklin: Pandarus; Ajax; Nestor; Paris; Menelaus; Andromache; Helenus; Second Soldier.
Sonia: Cressida; Aeneas; Patroclus; Cassandra; Priam; Helen; Margarelon; Myrmidon; Servant to Diomedes; First Soldier.
6 episodes
Billed by scholars as the first part of the all-encompassing Henriad, Richard II is a richly satisfying probe into the inner workings of monarchical rule and its evolution from being seen as divinely held to a more modern conception that incorporates political cunning. Shakespeare positions the titular Richard in the former position, his shortcomings as England's leader made all too clear when he bungles the handling of a judicial duel, and then later seizes money and assets that are not rightfully his in order to fund an Irish war. At the opposite end is the Machiavellian opportunist Henry Bolingbroke, who assembles enough supporters to help him dethrone the king and become the future Henry IV—the protagonist of the next two plays in this historical series. Written entirely in verse and containing some of the Bard's most florid and evocative language, Richard II never fails to transport its audience back to its time, where the furious machinations of government and kingly rule could be as captivating and intense as any battlefield siege.And to perform it all? Three men (Craig Franklin, Tomas Peter, and Brad "Hamlet" Filippone) and one woman (Sonia), determined to give you a performance of Shakespeare's work that you will never forget. You thought you knew your Shakespeare? Well, think again! - Summary by Tomas Peter
Brad “Hamlet” Filippone: Narrator; Henry Bolingbroke; Earl of Salisbury; Bushy; Abbot of Westminster; York’s Servant; Exton’s Servant; Gardener’s Servant; Another Lord.
Sonia: Richard II; Richard’s Queen; Duchess of York; Duchess of Gloucester; Lord Berkeley; Lord Ross; Lord Fitzwater; Second Herald.
Tomas Peter: Duke of York; Duke of Aumerle; Thomas Mowbray; Green; Henry Percy; Sir Pierce of Exton; Lord Willoughby; First Herald; Queen’s Attendant; Stable Groom.
Craig Franklin: John of Gaunt; Earl of Northumberland; Bagot; Duke of Surrey; Bishop of Carlisle; Sir Stephen Scroop; Lord Marshal; Gardener; Welsh Captain; Keeper.
6 episodes
Saint Joan is a play by George Bernard Shaw about 15th-century French military figure Joan of Arc. Premiering in 1923, three years after her canonization by the Roman Catholic Church, the play reflects Shaw's belief that the people involved in Joan's trial acted according to what they thought was right. He wrote in his preface to the play: “There are no villains in the piece. Crime, like disease, is not interesting: it is something to be done away with by general consent, and that is all [there is] about it. It is what men do at their best, with good intentions, and what normal men and women find that they must and will do in spite of their intentions, that really concern us.” (Wikipedia) Modern British author, critic, poet, and broadcaster Clive James, commenting on a book that changed his mind, wrote: “George Bernard Shaw, his preface to Saint Joan. Reading that wonderful stretch of prose started me on the road to a more human version of Christianity: a road I like to think that I am still pursuing.” (The Guardian, 5 October 2019) - Summary by Wikipedia and David Wales
4 episodes
"The reign of Louis XIV. in France, like the age of Pericles at ancient Athens, was remarkable for literary excellence no less than for military achievements. Like Euripides, Racine confined himself almost exclusively to tragedy.... It was under Molière's friendly auspices that Racine's first published play, "La Thébaïde," was put upon the stage ... at the Palais Royale, Molière's own theater." The story, very much the opposite of a Moliere farce, describes the battle between the brothers Eteocles and Polynices, and being a proper tragedy does not end well for anyone. (NOTE: Act 0 here is a biography of Racine from the introduction of the Translator's book. The play starts with Act 1.)
- Summary by Translator and ToddHW
Cast list:
Eteocles, King of Thebes: ToddHW
Polynices, brother of Eteocles: alanmapstone
Jocasta, mother of those two princes, and of Antigone: Sonia
Antigone, sister of Eteocles and Ploynices: Lydia
Creon, their uncle: Adrian Stephens
Hemon, son of Creon, lover of Antigone: Tomas Peter
Olympia, confidential friend of Jocasta: Lisanne Lavoie
Attalus, confidential friend of Creon: Adam Bielka
A Soldier of the Army of Polynices: Nemo
Stage Directions: MichaelMaggs
Editing: ToddHW
6 episodes
In this tragedy [about part of the aftermath of the Trojan War], which made its appearance in 1667, there is a more intricate plot than is usual in Racine's plays, and it offers a greater variety of character and motive. Love, jealousy, friendship, conjugal fidelity, maternal tenderness, anger, and despair are all portrayed with skillful touches; and if the language is that of the French Court of the seventeenth century, the natural emotions of the human heart, the same in all ages, show themselves plainly under the mask of conventional mannerism - Summary by The Translator
Cast list:
Andromache, widow of Hector, Captive of Pyrrhus: Sonia
Pyrrhus, Son of Achilles, King of Epirus: Matthew Reece
Orestes, Son of Agamemnon: Richard Jaspering
Hermione, Daughter of Helen, betrothed to Pyrrhus: Shreya Sethi
Pylades, Friend of Orestes: Alan Mapstone
Cleone, Friend of Hermione: Jessica Hendra
Cephissa, Friend of Andromache: Hanna Ponomarenko
Phoenix, Tutor of Achilles, and afterwards of Pyrrhus: ToddHW
Stage Directions: David Purdy
Editing: ToddHW
5 episodes
