29 Best Drama Books
Drama is a popular category for many book lovers. Our team at Speechify has curated a list of the top Drama audiobooks everyone must read.
See the top 29 Drama audiobooks below.
-
River Rules
- By: Stevie Z. Fischer
- Narrator: Byron Wagner
- Length: 8 hours 21 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2020
- Language: English
-
4.69(26 ratings)
4.69(26 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDRiver Rules is a small-town environmental suspense novel with a deep heart and powerful conscience. What the housing bubble didn’t break in Bridgeville–a small New England community blessed by the Connecticut River–greed,River Rules is a small-town environmental suspense novel with a deep heart and powerful conscience. What the housing bubble didn’t break in Bridgeville–a small New England community blessed by the Connecticut River–greed, double-dealing, and rapid-fire change just might. Peter Russo, a part-time farmer and full-time rambler with his rescue dog, has a knack for conflict, and a burning desire to protect Bridgeville’s land and water from exploitation.
His best buddy, John Tomassi, a local cop, doesn’t want to be his babysitter–nor does his brother, Jeff. Peter’s ex-lover, Carmen, has no use for him as she doubles-down on her profitable apple orchard. But Rachel, his niece, needs his partnership in a food truck. Peter’s trouble with Bridgeville’s bureaucracy reunites him with two of his former club baseball players, Marco Torres, now on the wrong side of the law, and Kenny Johnson, a young cop. Peter’s helping hand not only gives Marco the chance he needs, but Marco and Kenny find that there’s more that connects them than divides them. The food truck is a lifeline to almost everyone except Nancy, Peter’s old friend, sinking fast from health issues and the aftermath of date rape.
Nobody’s famous and nobody’s rich except Brock Saunders, a local bully turned Ponzi-schemer and sexual predator. With Bridgeville life at the mercy of cultural crosswinds and economic forces seemingly beyond control, love, loss, baseball, and the search for truth create a spinning wheel of unexpected alliances, unsung heroes, and treachery.
... Read more -
Hamilton
- By: Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Narrator: Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Length: 6 hours 2 minutes
- Publisher: Hachette Audio
- Publish date: April 12, 2016
- Language: English
-
4.45(48628 ratings)
4.45(48628 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0025.98 USDA backstage pass to the groundbreaking, hit musical Hamilton, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, including the award-winning libretto, behind-the-scenes photos and interviews, and exclusiveA backstage pass to the groundbreaking, hit musical Hamilton, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, including the award-winning libretto, behind-the-scenes photos and interviews, and exclusive footnotes from composer-lyricist-star Lin-Manuel Miranda, now streaming on Disney+ with the original cast.
... Read more
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country’s origins for a diverse new generation.Hamilton: The Revolution gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages — “since before this was even a show,” according to Miranda — traces its development from an improbable performance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published here.
Their account features photos by the renowned Frank Ockenfels and veteran Broadway photographer, Joan Marcus; exclusive looks at notebooks and emails; interviews with Questlove, Stephen Sondheim, leading political commentators, and more than 50 people involved with the production; and multiple appearances by President Obama himself. The book does more than tell the surprising story of how a Broadway musical became a national phenomenon: It demonstrates that America has always been renewed by the brash upstarts and brilliant outsiders, the men and women who don’t throw away their shot.
-
Dialogue
- By: Robert McKee
- Narrator: Robert McKee
- Length: 11 hours 10 minutes
- Publisher: Hachette Audio
- Publish date: July 12, 2016
- Language: English
-
4.32(960 ratings)
4.32(960 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0025.98 USDThe long-awaited follow-up to the perennially bestselling writers’ guide Story, from the most sought-after expert in the art of storytelling.Robert McKee’s popular writing workshops have earned him an international reputation. The listThe long-awaited follow-up to the perennially bestselling writers’ guide Story, from the most sought-after expert in the art of storytelling.
... Read more
Robert McKee’s popular writing workshops have earned him an international reputation. The list of alumni with Oscars runs off the page. The cornerstone of his program is his singular book, Story, which has defined how we talk about the art of story creation.Now, in Dialogue, McKee offers the same in-depth analysis for how characters speak on the screen, on the stage, and on the page in believable and engaging ways. From Macbeth to Breaking Bad, McKee deconstructs key scenes to illustrate the strategies and techniques of dialogue. Dialogue applies a framework of incisive thinking to instruct the prospective writer on how to craft artful, impactful speech. Famous McKee alumni include Peter Jackson, Jane Campion, Geoffrey Rush, Paul Haggis, the writing team for Pixar, and many others.
-
Touched by an Angel
- By: Victoria Christopher Murray
- Narrator: Madison Vaughn
- Length: 4 hours 16 minutes
- Publisher: Dreamscape Media
- Publish date: August 08, 2017
- Language: English
-
4.29(284 ratings)
4.29(284 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0017.99 USDSavannah Hudson always looked for a surprise from her husband, Sheldon, when he returned home from his travels. It was a tradition that began at the start of their twenty-three-year-long marriage. But when her husband returned from his latest trip,Savannah Hudson always looked for a surprise from her husband, Sheldon, when he returned home from his travels. It was a tradition that began at the start of their twenty-three-year-long marriage. But when her husband returned from his latest trip, Savannah finds surprises she never expected: one pretty red thong and lots of questions. But before Savannah can get answers, her husband goes into cardiac arrest. Now, as Sheldon fights for his life, Savannah struggles to put her bitterness aside. But as every female in his life becomes a suspect and Savannah finds herself questioning everything she’s ever believed, a handsome doctor may be the only one that can help Savannah find the truth.
... Read more -
Les Miserables
- By: Victor Hugo
- Narrator: a full cast
- Length: 3 hours 19 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2017
- Language: English
-
4.19(667148 ratings)
4.19(667148 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.009.95 USDBring history back to life through Jim Hodges’ historically accurate, exciting and edifying audio recordings. Victor Hugo wrote in his classic Les Mis+(r)rables, Book 5, Chapter 4: “God is behind everything, but everything hidesBring history back to life through Jim Hodges’ historically accurate, exciting and edifying audio recordings.
Victor Hugo wrote in his classic Les Mis+(r)rables, Book 5, Chapter 4: “God is behind everything, but everything hides God.” I don’t know if you have seen either the stage musical or the movie rendition of Victor Hugo’s immortal classic Les Mis+(r)rables (an epic story of redemption set in Paris after the French Revolution) but I have never seen a production that more clearly illustrates the saving grace of God and the change that can be had for anyone willing to accept it.
This 1937 Old Time Radio Show dramatization, written, produced, and performed by none other than the incomparable Orson Wells, of “War of the Worlds” fame. The story is faithfully retold (with questionable subjects carefully camouflaged) and is suitable for students aged 10 and older. This live recording, masterfully performed by an incredible professional cast, includes sound effects, music, and an unforgettable story. You will not be disappointed.
Look for the Old Time Radio Show Collection from the 30s, 40s, and 50s! These classic stories will capture your attention as they reenact history in short programs.
... Read more -
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
- By: Edith Nesbit
- Narrator: Laurellee Westaway
- Length: 5 hours 1 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
4.16(4 ratings)
4.16(4 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.007.99 USDIn Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare, Edith Nesbit retells the stories of William Shakespeare’s plays, making them accessible to children, while evoking the drama and excitement of the originals. Included in this collection are “AIn Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare, Edith Nesbit retells the stories of William Shakespeare’s plays, making them accessible to children, while evoking the drama and excitement of the originals.
Included in this collection are
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream “”The Tempest””As You Like It””The Winter’s Tale””King Lear””Twelfth Night””Night Much Ado about Nothing””Romeo and Juliet””Pericles””Hamlet””Cymbeline””Macbeth””The Comedy of Errors””The Merchant of Venice””Timon of Athens””Othello””The Taming of the Shrew””Measure for Measure””Two Gentleman of Verona””All’s Well That Ends Well”
... Read more -
Shakespeare, Our Contemporary
- By: Jan Kott
- Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 11 hours 1 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
4.14(279 ratings)
4.14(279 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0022.95 USDShakespeare, Our Contemporary is a provocative, original study of the major plays of Shakespeare. More than that, it is one of the few critical works to have strongly influenced theatrical productions. Peter Brook and Charles Marowitz are among theShakespeare, Our Contemporary is a provocative, original study of the major plays of Shakespeare. More than that, it is one of the few critical works to have strongly influenced theatrical productions.
Peter Brook and Charles Marowitz are among the many directors who have acknowledged their debt to Jan Kott, finding in his analogies between Shakespearean situations and those in modern life and drama the seeds of vital new stage conceptions. Shakespeare, Our Contemporary has been translated into nineteen languages since it appeared in 1961, and readers all over the world have similarly found their responses to Shakespeare broadened and enriched.
... Read more -
Feed Your Mind
- By: Jen Bryant
- Narrator: David Sadzin
- Length: 52 minutes
- Publisher: Dreamscape Media
- Publish date: June 30, 2020
- Language: English
-
4.08(307 ratings)
4.08(307 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.009.99 USDAugust Wilson (1945-2005) was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who had a particular talent for capturing the authentic everyday voice of Black Americans. As a child, he read off soup cans and cereal boxes, and when his mother brought himAugust Wilson (1945-2005) was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who had a particular talent for capturing the authentic everyday voice of Black Americans. As a child, he read off soup cans and cereal boxes, and when his mother brought him to the library, his whole world opened up. After facing intense prejudice at school from both students and some teachers, August dropped out. However, he continued reading and educating himself independently. He felt that if he could read about it, then he could teach himself anything and accomplish anything.
Like many of his plays, Feed Your Mind is told in two acts, revealing how Wilson grew up to be one of the most influential American playwrights.
... Read more -
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: Joe Bevilacqua
- Length: 4 hours 9 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2015
- Language: English
-
4.03(160 ratings)
4.03(160 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0013.95 USDWhen veteran award-winning radio theater producer Joe Bevilacqua (Joe Bev) was a student in his final semester at Kean College (now Kean University) in 1982, he designed his own course, in which he produced and directed a radio version ofWhen veteran award-winning radio theater producer Joe Bevilacqua (Joe Bev) was a student in his final semester at Kean College (now Kean University) in 1982, he designed his own course, in which he produced and directed a radio version of Hamlet.
Casting Kean faculty and students, and portraying the melancholy Danish prince himself, Bevilacqua not only completed his nearly four-hour radio adaption of Shakespeare’s greatest work, he did so while carrying a double major in speech-theater-media-communication and English; producing, acting in, and sometimes writing radio plays for the WKNJ Radio Theater he founded at the college station; rehearsing and portraying Dr. Martn Dysart in Equus on the Kean Stage; and working twenty hours per week as the assistant manager of Kean’s Writing and Math Lab.
After graduating summa cum laude, Bevilacqua saw his production of Hamlet picked up and distributed by the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) and aired on public radio stations nationwide.
Bevilacqua went on to become one of the most prolific radio drama producers in the United States, as well as an on-camera actor in such films as The Fly Room and The Better Angels and in television shows, including portraying British General Bernard Montgomery in the History Channel’s The Wars and the head of NBC in 1931 for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.
The master reels of Joe Bevilacqua’s radio production of Hamlet were lost in the 1980s. On January 6, 2015, while going through some old files, Bevilacqua came across an NFCB newsletter listing a number of his radio dramas, including Hamlet. He then traced the NFCB collection to the University of Maryland Libraries, where it now resides.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare at an uncertain date between 1599 and 1602. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet is instructed to enact on his uncle Claudius. Claudius had murdered his own brother, Hamlet’s father, and subsequently seized the throne, marrying his deceased brother’s widow, Gertrude.
From the NFCB newsletter:
This four-hour drama is both faithful to Shakespeare and creative in presentation. The acting is of professional quality. Joe Bev highlights the play as Hamlet by using great change of pace and dynamics, articulation and believability, along with superb vocal range. After hearing a tape of the production, veteran voice-man Daws Butler (Yogi Bear) said, “It is among the best Hamlets I have ever heard.”
Other highlights are the ghost’s reverb processed bass and Claudius attempting to pray after murdering the king.
Tech is good, the acting is excellent. You will understand every word and get the full range of meaning (from tragic to comic) from the characters! Great use of sound effects and music!
BONUS TRACK: “Another Point of View (Hamlet Revisited),” originally aired on the CBS Radio Workshop June 22, 1956.
An analytical misrepresentation of Shakespeare’s greatest hero, with William Conrad (narrator, author), Ben Wright (Hamlet, author), and John McIntire.
... Read more -
The Book of William
- By: Paul Collins
- Narrator: Tim Getman
- Length: 6 hours 42 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2022
- Language: English
-
4.03(354 ratings)
4.03(354 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0016.95 USDThe first popular narrative history of Shakespeare’s First Folio, the world’s most obsessively pursued book One book above all others has transfixed connoisseurs for four centuries–a book sold for shillings in the streets ofThe first popular narrative history of Shakespeare’s First Folio, the world’s most obsessively pursued book
One book above all others has transfixed connoisseurs for four centuries–a book sold for shillings in the streets of London, whisked to Manhattan for millions, and stored deep within the vaults of Tokyo. The book: William Shakespeare’s First Folio of 1623. Paul Collins, lover of odd books and author of the national bestseller Sixpence House, takes up the strange quest for this white whale of precious books.
Broken down into five acts, each tied to a different location and century, The Book of William’s travelogue follows the trail of the Folio’s curious rise: a dizzying Sotheby’s auction on a pristine copy preserved since the seventeenth century, the Fleet Street machinations of the eighteenth century, the nineteenth-century quests for lost Folios, obsessive acquisitions by twentieth-century oilmen, and the high-tech hoards of twenty-first-century Japan. Finally, Collins speculates on Shakespeare’s cross-cultural future as Asian buyers enter their Folios into the electronic ether, and recounts the book’s remarkable journey as it is found in attics, gets lost in oceans and fires, is bought and sold, and ultimately becomes immortal.
... Read more -
Hamlet
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: William Shakespeare
- Length: 3 hours 32 minutes
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
4.03(775638 ratings)
4.03(775638 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0011.99 USDFOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARYThe World’s Leading Center for Shakespeare StudiesThe Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Hamlet to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recordingFOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY
... Read more
The World’s Leading Center for Shakespeare Studies
The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Hamlet to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition.
Hamlet–Shakespeare’s most popular, and perhaps most puzzling play–follows the form of a “revenge tragedy,” in which the hero, Hamlet, seeks vengeance against his father’s murderer, his uncle Claudius, now the king of Denmark. Much of its fascination, however, lies in its uncertainties.
This new full-cast recording–based on the most respected edition of Shakespeare’s classic–expertly produced by the Folger Theatre, is perfect for students, teachers, and the everyday listener. -
Hamlet
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: William Shakespeare
- Length: 4 hours 6 minutes
- Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
- Publish date: June 06, 2008
- Language: English
-
4.03(775638 ratings)
4.03(775638 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0012.99 USDFrank Muller-hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “the best reader I have ever heard”-brings us back to where it all begins: the original text of Hamlet. He reads the complete work, with stage directions, bringing to it a passion and anFrank Muller-hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “the best reader I have ever heard”-brings us back to where it all begins: the original text of Hamlet. He reads the complete work, with stage directions, bringing to it a passion and an attachment developed over 16 years as a professional actor.
... Read more -
Hamlet
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: a full cast
- Length: 2 hours 49 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2011
- Language: English
-
4.03(775638 ratings)
4.03(775638 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0011.95 USDBlackstone Audio is proud to present the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s brilliant production of Shakespeare’s disturbing and psychologically rich masterpiece Hamlet. Whether you’re a Hamlet scholar or being exposed to this work forBlackstone Audio is proud to present the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s brilliant production of Shakespeare’s disturbing and psychologically rich masterpiece Hamlet. Whether you’re a Hamlet scholar or being exposed to this work for the first time, this stunning work of audio theater, fully dramatized with performances by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival cast, is a must-listen.
In Denmark a king is dead. His brother, Claudius, has snatched the throne, and the widowed queen, yet life goes on—for everyone but Prince Hamlet. The prince, fixated on his uncle as the murderer, is charged by his father’s ghost to avenge the wrong. Disconnected from the foul world around him, Hamlet strains under the weight of his task, descending into madness, both real and feigned.
... Read more -
The Tragedy of Macbeth
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: Scott Brick
- Length: 2 hours 29 minutes
- Publisher: Public Domain
- Publish date: March 25, 2021
- Language: English
-
4(10 ratings)
4(10 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.007.99 USDWilliam Shakespeare’s shortest–but one of his most popular–tragedies features a man who will do anything to fulfill a prophecy that will lead him to become the King of Scotland. Fresh from battle, Macbeth and his companion BanquoWilliam Shakespeare’s shortest–but one of his most popular–tragedies features a man who will do anything to fulfill a prophecy that will lead him to become the King of Scotland. Fresh from battle, Macbeth and his companion Banquo come across three witches who tell of great power that is in store for Macbeth. Driven by their prophecy and aided by his wife, Macbeth sets out on a journey that is wrought with deceit, murder, and suffering to acquire the throne of Scotland. At each and every turn, Macbeth must make choices that alter the trajectory of not only his life but every life around him, as he begins to fall mad with greed. This multi-voice production of The Tragedy of Macbeth features an all-star cast under the direction of acclaimed producer Paul Alan Ruben, a Grammy Award-winning veteran of the audiobook industry. With five AudioFile magazine Golden Voice recipients, multiple Grammy and SOVAS nominations, and countless Earphones and Audie Awards, this phenomenal cast brings Shakespeare’s work to life.
... Read more -
Tales from Shakespeare
- By: Charles Lamb
- Narrator: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 9 hours 19 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2010
- Language: English
-
4(7 ratings)
4(7 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDThis retelling in prose of twenty of Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays was originally published just for children. Keeping Shakespeare’s own words whenever possible but making the plots and language easily understandable, this veryThis retelling in prose of twenty of Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays was originally published just for children. Keeping Shakespeare’s own words whenever possible but making the plots and language easily understandable, this very listenable collection has entertained and informed generations of adults as well. With such classic stories as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado about Nothing, Hamlet, and more, Shakespeare’s most memorable characters come to life anew as magicians and fairies, fools and kings weave their magic, mischief, and madness.
Contents include: The TempestA Midsummer Night’s DreamThe Winter’s TaleMuch Ado about NothingAs You Like ItThe Two Gentlemen of VeronaThe Merchant of VeniceCybelineKing LearMacbethAll’s Well That Ends WellThe Taming of the ShrewThe Comedy of ErrorsMeasure for MeasureTwelfth NightTimon of AthensRomeo and JulietHamletOthelloPericles, Prince of Tyre
... Read more -
The Sum of Our Days
- By: Isabel Allende
- Narrator: Isabel Allende
- Length: 11 hours 12 minutes
- Publisher: HarperAudio
- Publish date: May 19, 2020
- Language: English
-
3.98(1438 ratings)
3.98(1438 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0026.99 USDNarrated with warmth, humor, exceptional candor and wisdom, The Sum of Our Days is a portrait of a contemporary family, tied together by the love, strong will, and stubborn determination of a beloved matriarch, the indomitable New York TimesNarrated with warmth, humor, exceptional candor and wisdom, The Sum of Our Days is a portrait of a contemporary family, tied together by the love, strong will, and stubborn determination of a beloved matriarch, the indomitable New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende.
“An inspiring and thought-provoking work.” –Denver Post
Isabel Allende reconstructs the painful reality of her own life in the wake of the tragic death of her daughter, Paula. Narrated with warmth, humor, exceptional candor, and wisdom, this remarkable memoir is as exuberant and as full of life as its creator. Allende bares her soul while sharing her thoughts on love, marriage, motherhood, spirituality and religion, infidelity, addiction, and memory–and recounts stories of the wildly eccentric, strong-minded, and eclectic tribe she gathers around her and lovingly embraces as a new kind of family.
... Read more -
A Streetcar Named Desire
- By: Tennessee Williams
- Narrator: Theater Lincoln Center
- Length: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Publisher: Caedmon
- Publish date: January 06, 2009
- Language: English
-
3.98(269166 ratings)
3.98(269166 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.003.99 USDCaedmon is proud to release this archival full-cast recording of Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire on cd for the first time! Blanche DuBois arrives at her sister Stella’s New Orleans apartment seeking refuge from aCaedmon is proud to release this archival full-cast recording of Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire on cd for the first time!
Blanche DuBois arrives at her sister Stella’s New Orleans apartment seeking refuge from a troubled past–but her ethereal spirit irks Stella’s husband, the loutish Stanley Kowalski. Crudely, relentlessly, he unmasks the lies and delusions that sustain Blanche, until her frail hold on reality is shockingly severed.
This atmospheric recording of Tennessee Williams’s powerful classic stars Rosemary Harris and James Farentino as Blanche and Stanley–roles they performed to acclaim in a smash revival at New York’s Lincoln Center.
... Read more -
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: William Shakespeare
- Length: 2 hours 7 minutes
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
3.95(458116 ratings)
3.95(458116 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0011.99 USDFOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY The World’s Leading Center for Shakespeare StudiesThe Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life with this new full-length,FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY
... Read more
The World’s Leading Center for Shakespeare Studies
The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition.
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare stages the workings of love in unexpected ways. In the woods outside Athens, two young men and two young women sort themselves into couples–but not before they form first one love triangle, and then another. The king and queen of fairyland, Oberon and Titania, battle over custody of an orphan boy. Oberon uses magic to make Titania fall in love with a weaver named Bottom, in an effort to distract Titania from the custody battle. While all of this is going on, Bottom and his companions ineptly stage the tragedy of “Pyramus and Thisbe.”
This new full-cast recording–based on the most respected edition of Shakespeare’s classic–expertly produced by the Folger Theatre, is perfect for students, teachers, and the everyday listener. -
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: a full cast
- Length: 2 hours 18 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2005
- Language: English
-
3.95(458117 ratings)
3.95(458117 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0014.95 USDACT IScene 1. In Athens, preparations are underway for the wedding of Duke Theseus to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. An angry father, Egeus, comes to the ducal palace and accuses Lysander of bewitching his daughter Hermia, even though she isACT IScene 1. In Athens, preparations are underway for the wedding of Duke Theseus to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. An angry father, Egeus, comes to the ducal palace and accuses Lysander of bewitching his daughter Hermia, even though she is already betrothed to Demetrius. Hermia confesses her love for Lysander, and Theseus tells her that according to the law, she must either die or enter a nunnery if she refuses to marry the man chosen by her father. He gives her until the new moon to decide. Hermia and Lysander decide to run away; they agree to meet the following night in a wood outside the city. They tell Helena, Hermia’s childhood friend, of their plan; she, however, is in love with Demetrius, who has rejected her for Hermia, and she hopes to regain his favor by telling him of the lovers’ intentions.Scene 2. A group of Athenian workmen, “rude mechanicals,” are preparing an entertainment to be performed at the Duke’s wedding. They have chosen “the most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.”
ACT IIScene 1. In a wood near Athens, Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the Fairies, argue over a changeling boy. Titania has adopted him, but Oberon wants him for an attendant. When Titania refuses to give in, Oberon summons his servant, the mischievous sprite Puck. Oberon instructs him to find an enchanted flower, the juice of which, when laid on a sleeper’s eyelid, will cause him or her to fall in love with the first creature seen on awaking. He thus hopes to force her into giving him the boy. While Puck is gone, Oberon observes Helena and Demetrius, who have followed Hermia and Lysander into the wood. Demetrius rejects Helena peremptorily. When Puck returns with the flower, Oberon tells him to lay some of its juice on the eye of the “disdainful youth,” whom he will know by his Athenian clothes.Scene 2. Oberon squeezes the juice of the magic flower on Titania’s eyelids. Lysander and Helena fall asleep nearby. Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and drops the juice on his eye. Demetrius and Helena arrive and Lysander awakes, promptly falling in love with Helena. Hermia wakes to find herself left alone.
ACT IIIScene 1. Near where Titania lies sleeping, the “rude mechanicals” rehearse their play. Puck, who has been watching the rehearsal with amusement, places the head of an ass on Bottom’s shoulders. His fellow actors run away terrified. Titania awakes and falls instantly in love with Bottom.Scene 2. Oberon is delighted at what has happened to Titania, but angered when he realizes that the sprite has mistaken Lysander for Demetrius. To right the error, he lays juice on the lids of the sleeping Demetrius. When the young man wakes, the first person he sees is Helena, and he duly falls in love with her. Helena, now beloved of both the youths, is certain they are teasing her cruelly. Hermia is distraught when Lysander rejects her and accuses Helena of stealing her beloved. Lysander and Demetrius leave to settle their quarrel over Helena by combat, but Oberon orders Puck to send them to sleep. Puck then lays an antidote to the love juice on Lysander’s eyelids. Meanwhile Helena and Hermia fall asleep beside their lovers.
ACT IVScene 1. Oberon sees Titania sleeping beside Bottom. He pities her and, on undoing the spell, they are reconciled. Puck removes Bottom’s ass’ head. Thesus and Hippolyta are hunting in the forest with Egeus. They come upon the sleeping lovers. Lysander explains that he and Hermia were fleeing to evade the Athenian law. Demetrius gives up his claim to Hermia and declares his love for Helena. Theseus then announces that the young couples will be married along with Hippolyta and himself. After they have retruned to Athens, Bottom awakes.Scene 2. Quince, Starveling, Flute, and Snug are anxiously wondering where Bottom is when he returns with the news that their entertainment has been selected for the Duke’s wedding.
ACT VScene 1. After the wedding, Theseus, Hippolyta, and the young couples assemble for the entertainment. Bottom and his friends present the tragedy of Pyramus and Thisby, to the great amusement of the spectators. When all have retired for the night, the fairies enter and dance together through the palace, to bless the bridal beds. Only Puck remains, asking the audience to believe that they “have but slumb’red here/While these visions did appear.”
CAST LISTBottom: Roy Hudd / Hermia: Amanda Root / Helena: Saskia Wickham / Lysander: Rupert Penry-Jones / Demetrius: Clarence Smith / Puck: Richard McCabe / Oberon: David Harewood / Titania: Adjoa Andoh / Quince: Richard Cordery / Snout: John Hollis / Flute: Alex Lowe / Starveling: Sidney Livingstone / Snug: John Dallimore / Theseus: Paul Shelley / Hippolyta: Sophie Heyman / Fairy: Aicha Kossoko
Director: Clive Brill / Composer: Dominique Le Gendre / Production coordinators: Polly Coles and Charlotte Harvey / Sound engineer: Wilfredo Acosta / Producers: Bill Shepherd and Tom Treadwell
TRACK LISTDisc 1Track 1: Act I, Scene iTrack 2: Act I, Scene iiTrack 3: Act II, Scene iTrack 4: Act II, Scene iiTrack 5: Act III, Scene iTrack 6: Act III, Scene ii(up to line 121)
Disc 2Track 1: Act III, Scene ii(from line 122)Track 2: Act IV, Scene iTrack 3: Act IV, Scene iiTrack 4: Act V, Scene i
... Read more -
Three Plays
- By: Ayn Rand
- Narrator: Robin Field
- Length: 8 hours 55 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2009
- Language: English
-
3.94(263 ratings)
3.94(263 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDPublished together for the first time are three of Ayn Rand’s compelling stage plays. The courtroom drama Night of January 16th, a 1935 Broadway success famous for leaving the verdict to the audience, is presented here in its definitive, finalPublished together for the first time are three of Ayn Rand’s compelling stage plays. The courtroom drama Night of January 16th, a 1935 Broadway success famous for leaving the verdict to the audience, is presented here in its definitive, final revised text—a superb dramatization of Rand’s vision of human strengths and weaknesses. Also included are two of Rand’s unproduced plays: Think Twice, a clever philosophical murder mystery, and Ideal, a bitter indictment of people’s willingness to betray their highest values, as symbolized by a Hollywood goddess suspected of a crime and fleeing the authorities.
... Read more -
Richard III
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: William Shakespeare
- Length: 3 hours 22 minutes
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
- Publish date: January 01, 2015
- Language: English
-
3.91(40564 ratings)
3.91(40564 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0011.99 USDThe Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Richard III to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition.In Richard III, Shakespeare invites us on aThe Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Richard III to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition.
... Read more
In Richard III, Shakespeare invites us on a moral holiday. The play draws us to identify with Richard and his fantasy of total control of self and domination of others. Not yet king at the start of the play, Richard presents himself as an enterprising villain as he successfully plans to dispose of his brother Clarence. Richard achieves similar success in conquering the woman he chooses to marry. He carves a way to the throne through assassination and executions.
But Richard also meets resistance, most threateningly from Queen Margaret, widow of King Henry VI, whom he killed before the play’s beginning. Margaret issues a stream of curses, including one on Richard.
Gradually, the curses are fulfilled, suggesting the curse on Richard may come true, too. Increasingly, the play directs our sympathies away from Richard. His supporters desert him; his victims pile up. We may begin to share in the desire for vengeance voiced by Margaret.
This new unabridged audio recording of the well-respected edition of Shakespeare’s classic–expertly produced by the Folger Theatre–is perfect for students, teachers, and the everyday listener. -
King Lear
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: a full cast
- Length: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
3.91(183056 ratings)
3.91(183056 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0013.95 USDBlackstone Audio is proud to present the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2013 production of King Lear, Shakespeare’s dark yet brilliant tragedy of madness and betrayal, directed by artistic director Bill Rauch. This stunning work of audioBlackstone Audio is proud to present the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2013 production of King Lear, Shakespeare’s dark yet brilliant tragedy of madness and betrayal, directed by artistic director Bill Rauch. This stunning work of audio theater, fully dramatized with performances by the OSF cast, is a must-listen.
Ambition is thicker than blood …
King Lear is ready to turn his realm over to his three daughters. His plan is simple: give the biggest piece to the daughter who loves him most. But honeyed words and hubris blind Lear to the true motives of those around him, plunging king and kingdom into a hell of treachery, madness, and unspeakable acts–with consequences that reveal the worst and best in human nature.
... Read more -
King Lear
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: Trevor Peacock
- Length: 3 hours 8 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2005
- Language: English
-
3.91(183056 ratings)
3.91(183056 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0014.95 USDThis shattering drama of isolation and loss is one of the greatest tragedies in world literature. King Lear of Britain has three daughters: the hard-hearted Goneril and Regan, and the good and gentle Cordelia. He determines to divide his kingdomThis shattering drama of isolation and loss is one of the greatest tragedies in world literature.
King Lear of Britain has three daughters: the hard-hearted Goneril and Regan, and the good and gentle Cordelia. He determines to divide his kingdom between them, giving the largest share to she who can say she loves him the best. Lear’s tragic lack of judgement and self-knowledge is paralleled by the blindness of the loyal Gloucester who is persuaded to reject his virtuous son Edgar in favor of the villainous Edmund.
Lear is played by Trevor Peacock and Gloucester by Clive Merrison. Penny Downie is Goneril, Samantha Bond is Regan, and Julia Ford is Cordelia. Edgar is played by David Tennant, Edmund by Gerard Murphy, and the Fool by John Rogan.
... Read more -
Macbeth
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: Alan Cumming
- Length: 1 hours 44 minutes
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
- Publish date: January 01, 2012
- Language: English
-
3.9(765081 ratings)
3.9(765081 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.009.95 USDTony Award winner Alan Cumming in his riveting solo interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy.Star of stage, film and television Alan Cumming delivers a virtuoso performance playing every role in the National Theatre of Scotland’s boldTony Award winner Alan Cumming in his riveting solo interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
... Read more
Star of stage, film and television Alan Cumming delivers a virtuoso performance playing every role in the National Theatre of Scotland’s bold presentation of Shakespeare’s chilling tale of desire, ambition, and the supernatural.
This radical reimagining of one of Shakespeare’s most deeply psychological plays is set in a psychiatric unit in which Cumming is the lone patient. Channeling the story of Macbeth, he is inhabited in turn by each of the characters of the drama, including some of Shakespeare’s most complex and troubled creations.
Cumming’s one-man interpretation of Shakespeare’s Scottish play comes to audio directly from acclaimed limited stage engagements with the National Theatre of Scotland in Glasgow and at New York’s Lincoln Center. Directed for audio by the stage production’s renowned directors, this exclusive studio recording of Cumming’s dazzling solo performance captures the excitement, passion and poetry of a wildly original tour-de-force that is destined to become theatrical legend. -
Macbeth
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: William Shakespeare
- Length: 2 hours 12 minutes
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
3.9(765081 ratings)
3.9(765081 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0011.99 USDFOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARYThe World’s Leading Center for Shakespeare StudiesThe Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Macbeth to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramaticFOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY
... Read more
The World’s Leading Center for Shakespeare Studies
The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Macbeth to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition.
Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, is among the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language. Promised a golden future as ruler of Scotland by three sinister witches, Macbeth murders the king in order to succeed to the throne. Tortured by his conscience and fearful of discovery, he becomes fatally enmeshed in a web of treachery and deceit.
This new full-cast recording–based on the most respected edition of Shakespeare’s classic–expertly produced by the Folger Theatre, is perfect for students, teachers, and the everyday listener. -
Macbeth
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: Anthony Quayle
- Length: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Publisher: Caedmon
- Publish date: December 27, 2003
- Language: English
-
3.9(765081 ratings)
3.9(765081 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.004.99 USD“Is this a dagger I see before me?” Features a unique cover illustration by Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are), specially commissioned for the Shakespeare on Compact Disc series. -
Othello
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: William Shakespeare
- Length: 2 hours 59 minutes
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
3.89(329893 ratings)
3.89(329893 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0011.99 USDFOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARYThe World’s Leading Center for Shakespeare StudiesThe Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Othello to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramaticFOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY
... Read more
The World’s Leading Center for Shakespeare Studies
The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Othello to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition.
In Othello, Shakespeare creates powerful drama from a marriage between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona. Shakespeare builds many differences into his hero and heroine, including race, age, and cultural background. Yet most audiences believe the couple’s strong love would overcome these differences were it not for Iago, who sets out to destroy Othello.
This new full-cast recording–based on the most respected edition of Shakespeare’s classic–expertly produced by the Folger Theatre, is perfect for students, teachers, and the everyday listener. -
Othello
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrator: a full cast
- Length: 2 hours 55 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2019
- Language: English
-
3.89(329895 ratings)
3.89(329895 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0014.95 USDPASSIONATE LOVE IN A PREJUDICED WORLD In Shakespeare’s most intimate tragedy, director Bill Rauch explores racism, religious bias, xenophobia, and the more disturbing aspects of relationships in the context of our society’s ongoingPASSIONATE LOVE IN A PREJUDICED WORLD
In Shakespeare’s most intimate tragedy, director Bill Rauch explores racism, religious bias, xenophobia, and the more disturbing aspects of relationships in the context of our society’s ongoing struggle with polarizing differences.
Consumed by their bigotry, those who praised the Moorish general Othello’s military successes now reject his marriage to Desdemona. The newlyweds are determined to overcome all obstacles, but Othello’s assignment in an exotic new location draws them into the web of his lieutenant Iago, whose resentment and demons know no bounds.
... Read more -
The Dybbuk
- By: S. Ansky
- Narrator: a full cast
- Length: 1 hours 35 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2009
- Language: English
-
3.88(161 ratings)
3.88(161 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.009.95 USDIn the folklore of Eastern European Jewry, a dybbuk is a wandering soul that comes to rest in the body of a living person. In this case, the dybbuk is an impoverished student that possesses a young bride on her wedding day. She is taken to a greatIn the folklore of Eastern European Jewry, a dybbuk is a wandering soul that comes to rest in the body of a living person. In this case, the dybbuk is an impoverished student that possesses a young bride on her wedding day. She is taken to a great Chassidic rabbi for exorcism. But before he can expel the spirit, the sage must discover who the dybbuk was in life, why he has possessed the maiden, and most importantly, how to balance the scales of cosmic justice.
Part folk tale, part love story, and part allegory, The Dybbuk re-creates the atmosphere of a bygone era, with all its rich humor, music, folkways, magic, and humanity. This Audie Award-winning production by the Hollywood Theater of the Ear, the only sound recording of this revered play in the English language, was made possible in part by a grant from Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation.
... Read more
- Previous 29 Best Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical, Juvenile Fiction Books
- Next 10 Best Drug Dependence Books
Cliff Weitzman
Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.
Recent Blogs
-
July 06, 2023
Which books are available on Spotify?
-
July 06, 2023
Are audiobooks free on Spotify with membership?
-
June 25, 2023
Top Destinations for Free eBooks and Audiobooks Online
-
June 25, 2023
Best Alternative to Barnes & Noble Online
-
June 25, 2023
The Best Places to Buy eBooks: Beyond the Kindle Ecosystem
-
June 25, 2023
What are the best places to find free ebooks?
-
June 25, 2023
Best Independent Companies to Buy eBooks from
-
April 19, 2023
How many Game of Thrones books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
Where to buy cheap books: A comprehensive guide
-
April 19, 2023
How many Jack Reacher books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
How many FNAF books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
How many Warrior Cats books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
How many Wheel of Time books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
The best Vampire Survivors powerups in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read the Robert Galbraith books in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read the Artemis Fowl books in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read Craig Johnson’s books in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read Cassandra Clare’s books in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read Lee Child’s books in order
-
April 18, 2023
How to read the In Death book series in order
-
April 18, 2023
Best book quotes
-
April 18, 2023
A tale of two cities reviewed
-
April 18, 2023
All the President’s Men reviewed
-
April 18, 2023
Tintin reviewed
-
April 18, 2023
What are adult coloring books?
-
April 18, 2023
How to read the Percy Jackson books in order
-
April 11, 2023
How to find charities for the blind
-
April 11, 2023
What is the best Bible app
-
April 11, 2023
Where to find free audio Bible downloads
-
April 11, 2023
What is the best free Bible app
More in this series
- 13 Best Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction Books
- 29 Best 21st Century, Political Science Books
- 29 Best Women’s Issues, Religion Books
- 28 Best Special Needs, Juvenile Fiction Books
- 17 Best Futuristic Books
- 29 Best Space Exploration, Fiction Books
- The best books about the Mughal Empire
- 29 Best Democracy Books
- 29 Best Health & Healing Books
- 11 Best Photography Books
- 29 Best Adaptations, Juvenile Fiction Books
- 28 Best Essays, HUMOR Books
- 11 Best English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Drama Books
- The best books by Hank Green
- 29 Best Human Resources & Personnel Management, Business & Economics Books
- 14 Best New Thought Books
- 29 Best Horror & Ghost Stories, Juvenile Fiction Books
- 29 Best Cultural Books
- 11 Best Northeast Books
- 10 Best Cults Books
- 29 Best Popular Culture Books
- 16 Best Horoscopes, Body, Mind & Spirit Books
- 29 Best Asian American Books
- 20 Best Fatherhood Books
- 17 Best Special Needs Books
- 22 Best Literary, Literary Collections Books
- Best books recommended by David Frum
- 11 Best Essays, Science Books
- 26 Best Media Studies Books
- 12 Best Finance, Business & Economics Books