Get Top 100 Audiobooks in Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

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Title: The Ruby Sunrise

Author: Rinne Groff

Narrator: Henry Winkler, Jason Ritter

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-13-08

Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

Hailed by The Boston Globe as "a gem," The Ruby Sunrise begins when a 1920s tomboy feverishly works to develop her latest invention - a little something called "television." Twenty-five years later, her daughter will stop at nothing to bring her mother's incredible story to life during TV's Golden Age. But will it get the truth it deserves?

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Asher Book, Katharine Leonard, Kate McGregor-Stewart, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Ritter, Kate Steele and Henry Winkler.

The Ruby Sunrise is part of L.A. Theatre Works Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world.

Editorial Reviews:

Featuring lively performances from a cast of actors that includes Henry Winkler and Elisabeth Moss, The Ruby Sunrise opens with a young tomboy, Ruby Sunrise, who has escaped from her abusive father to work on her invention - something called "television". Moss portrays Ruby as both idealistic and driven, with both loss and ambition in her voice. However, things don't work out as Ruby hopes, and the play picks up twenty-five years later, as her script coordinator daughter Lulu tries to bring her mother's story to television screens despite resistance from many corners. This engaging play will have listeners thinking about the possibilities - both realized and unrealized - of the medium of television.

Critic Reviews:

"A finely tuned portrait of television's early days. [Groff] has managed to skillfully blend past and present. (Providence Journal)

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Title: The Substance of Fire

Author: Jon Robin Baitz

Narrator: Gretchen Cleevely, Mitchell Hebert, Shirley Knight, Ron Rifkin, Stephen F. Schmidt

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-29-08

Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

Jon Robin Baitz's commanding drama is about a New York publisher and Holocaust survivor whose decision to publish obscure political tracts threatens the future of both his company and his family.

©2007 LA Theatre Works; (P)2007 LA Theatre Works

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Title: Taking Flight

Author: Adriana Sevan

Narrator: Adriana Sevan

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-19-07

Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

Taking Flight is a deeply compelling, humorous, and truly moving work that brings to the stage a mystical and poignant tale of a friendship tested by tragedy, and of the resilience of the human heart.

(P)2007 L.A. Theater Works

Editorial Reviews:

To write a one-woman show focusing on the tragedy of 9/11 that is filled with vivid, sexy, life-affirming observations; penetrating humor; and powerful emotions would be quite a challenge. The multitalented, multivoiced Adriana Sevan is up to the task. Using music, sound effects, and her own Latin-American and New York City roots, Sevan tells the heart-wrenching story of finding her severely injured best friend, Rhonda, in a downtown hospital in intensive care on the brutal evening of 9/11. It's a long, slow recovery for them both, and Adriana learns that lasting friendship and life after 9/11 have to be met with huge doses of honesty and heart. An outstanding performance.

Members Reviews:

AWFUL but short

What would have made Taking Flight better?

Someone less annoying reading this miserable tale. What a depressing and unsustainable tale.

What could Adriana Sevan have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Not talk! She is very annoying and her "Characters" made me want to throw my phone out of my car on the ride home.

Would you be willing to try another one of Adriana Sevans performances?

Never, I'll save my money and buy literally anything else. Would not recommend.

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

At least it was short.

Any additional comments?

Skip

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Title: Alan Bennett

Subtitle: Double Bill

Author: Alan Bennett

Narrator: full cast

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-13-07

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

This version of Forty Years On, Alan Bennett's popular stage play, starring Sir John Gielgud, Alan Bennett, and Paul Eddington, is paired with A Woman of No Importance, one of Bennett's famous monologues, starring Patricia Routledge as Margaret.

©1988, 2003 BBC Audiobooks LTD; (P)BBC Audiobooks LTD

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Title: The Mystery of the Pyramids (Dramatised)

Author: David McIlwaine

Narrator: Valentine Dyall, Blain Fairman, Carole Ann Ford, John Graham, Jacqueline Stanbury

Format: Original Recording

Length: 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-02-07

Publisher: Ivan and Inge Berg

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

According to sci-fi author David McIlwaine, carbon 14 dating, the most reliable (though not infallible) scientific method of establishing age, places the construction at around 70,000 years BC, at least 60,000 years before man's discovery of these sciences.

The Pyramid of Cheops is an almost total enigma. It is not a tomb, it does not appear to be a monument, yet it was built to endure the ravages of time. All conventional attempts to find a reason for the existence of the Great Pyramid - other than the simplistic one of a personal monument to Cheops - have failed conspicuously.

A number of bizarre and fantastic alternative theories have been proposed and investigated. Some of the conclusions reached seem to bear more relation to science fiction than to science fact. They talk of strange and inexplicable forces, observed events that defy the laws of physics and molecular biology, and unknown energy fields that have an extraordinary effect on the human mind. Is this the stuff of what Egyptologists call "pyramidiocy"? Or is it something more?

Editorial Reviews:

This captivating and intriguing dramatization of David McIlwaine's The Mystery of the Pyramids, performed by Valentine Dyall, Blain Fairman, Carole Ann Ford, John Graham, and Jacqueline Stanbury, presents listeners first with a strict summary of facts about the famed Great Pyramid of Cheops, located in Giza, Egypt, and then launches into a fantastic web of speculation about the pyramid's origins and purpose, be they mundane or even supernatural.

A strong ensemble cast carries this production, with each voice actor embodying different aspects of the discourse, bringing research and writings to life, and creating a melting pot of conjecture and contemplation about one of the great wonders of our world.

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Title: An Immaculate Misconception

Author: Carl Djerassi

Narrator: Jobeth Williams, Kevin Kilner, Kendall Schmidt, Philip Casnoff

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-02-07

Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

Dr. Melanie Laidlaw is a scientist developing the first use of ICSI, short for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Her collaborator, Dr. Felix Frankenthaler, turns out to have his own ideas about how to implement their new procedure. The wild card is Melanies new lover, Menachem Dvir, a fellow scientist. This darkly comic menage-a-tois plays out not only in bedrooms and labs, but also in test tubes and under the microscope. A Brave New World indeed!

Includes an interview with Liza Mundy, a staff writer at the Washington Post and the author of "Everything Conceivable: How Assisted Reproduction Is Changing Men, Women, and the World".

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring:

Philip Casnoff as Menachem Dvir

Kevin Kilner as Dr. Felix Frankenthaler

Kendall Schmidt as Adam

Jobeth Williams as Dr. Melanie Laidlaw

Directed by Jenny Sullivan. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.

An Immaculate Misconception is part of L.A. Theatre Works Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world.

Editorial Reviews:

Jobeth Williams and Kevin Kilner lead a dynamic cast in this dramatization of An Immaculate Misconception, which explores the moral issues behind sexual intercourse and reproduction. Williams portrays Dr. Melanie Laidlaw, a biologist working on intracytoplasmic sperm injection - a procedure in which injecting a single sperm into a single egg can lead to fertilization - as passionate about her work to the point of being willfully blind to the ethical implications of her methods. Kilner voices Dr. Laidlaws collaborator Dr. Felix Krankenthaler as a man whose ambition and self-interest leads him to own ethical lapses. Along with the rest of the cast, their witty performances make it easy for listeners to grasp the science behind the drama.

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Title: McReele

Author: Stephen Belber

Narrator: Eric Stoltz, Lauren Tom, Chris Butler, Deidrie Henry, Charles Janasz

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-01-07

Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

This rivelting tale of truth, lies and honor premiered in New York in 2005.

Editorial Reviews:

Convicted for the murder of a judges son, Darius McReele is exonerated due to the efforts of investigative reporter Rick Dayne. Before long, thanks to the support of political power brokers, Darius finds himself running for senator with Rick as his campaign manager. Featuring a powerful cast that includes Chris Butler and Eric Stoltz, this dramatization casts a keen eye on the justifications people make for their actions in pursuit of their goals. Listeners will be seduced by Butlers charismatic performance, his Darius is sharp, perceptive, and always seems to know something that others don't. As Rick, Stoltz acts as his earnest foil, a skeptic who finds himself unable to resist Darius charms.

Critic Reviews:

"Intriguing....keeps audience members constantly off-balance in their attempts to come to easy solutions on a range of topics including the death penalty, the credibility of political candidates, and media ethics. What is clear in McReele is how people use individuals, groups, and issues to get what they want." (National Catholic Reporter)

Members Reviews:

Man is released from prison and runs for office.

Any additional comments?

The premise of the story is interesting and has the potential for intrigue. New information is revealed over the coarse of the play and changes the trajectory of the story in a clever way that catalyzes the drama.

Despite this strength, I take major issue with the following.

Art should not provide the answers to important questions. Art should ask the important questions. Art that attempts to give answers to important questions is not art but propaganda.

Personal opinions of the writer stuffed into the mouths of his characters makes us uncomfortable and reluctant to fully submerge into the world of the story because of the feeling that the writer is trying to manipulate us.

The moments when the writer characters get to stand on the soapbox and preach are so frequent that they lose their impact. Superior stories save the big speech for the climax of the story or at least at a pivotal beat.

The mentioning of the political issues of the day makes the story dated and will limits its shelf life as the issues of our day will become irrelevant.

The dialogue is not too bad. The acting is in the performance is over-the-top despite only occasionally being funny. The exemption is the actors playing Darius and Opal who both give a strong and emotional performance.

If you are a political junkie, you might like but I can't recommend.

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Title: Chelsea Dreaming (Dramatised)

Author: Dylan Thomas

Narrator: Dramatisation

Format: Abridged

Length: 1 hr and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-22-06

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

A quizzical look at the life and legend of celebrated poet Dylan Thomas, through the critical eyes of New York's infamous Chelsea Hotel. In Room 206, Thomas went into the coma that led to his death.

©2006 BBC Audiobooks Ltd; (P)BBC Audiobooks LTD

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Title: Heroes and Villains (and True Love Conquers All) (Dramatized)

Author: Ronald Hayman

Narrator: Prunella Scales, Joss Ackland, Simon Ward, Raymond Francis, Kate Nicholls, Clifford Rose, Ian Gelder

Format: Original Recording

Length: 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-26-06

Publisher: Ivan and Inge Berg

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

The world of Victorian melodrama, of wilting heroines, brave and handsome heroes, horrible foreign villains, and powerful action with a host of scenes from the best plays of the period; acted, amusingly explained, and related to the development of the English-speaking theatre.

© and (P)1975 Ivan & Inge Berg

Editorial Reviews:

This enjoyable history of Victorian melodrama features snippets from classic examples of the genre, interspersed with history and analysis delivered by the British dramatist and writer Ronald Hayman. Fans of this genre will enjoy the well-acted scenes, featuring beloved characters and themes. British actors such as Prunella Scales (of Fawlty Towers) turn in wonderfully over-the-top performances. "Isn't it time we stopped using melodrama as a word of abuse, and admitted that it corresponds to something we fundamentally need?" Hayman asks. By the end of this listen, you're likely to agree.

Members Reviews:

EXCELLENCE for us WHO LOVE THEATRE.

A good way to understand the term Melodrama which today is misunderstood and seems only to be used to reflect an overwhelming over stuffed over acted performance - meaning Awful! Which is not what the word Melodrama stand for at all. I like melodramas and have many in my huge audiobooks collection but I will not spoil the reasons why.

You will understand once you have finished listening to this fascinating dramatic account performed by some of the best English actors.

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Title: The History Boys (Dramatized)

Author: Alan Bennett

Narrator: Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances de la Tour

Format: Original Recording

Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-12-06

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Drama & Poetry, Modern Drama

Publisher's Summary:

Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, and Frances de la Tour star as part of the National Theatre cast. At a boys' grammar school in Sheffield, eight boys are being coached for the Oxbridge entrance exams. It is the mid-eighties, and the main concern of the unruly bunch of bright sixth-formers is getting out, starting university and starting life.

At the heart of The History Boys are four characters, each with contrasting outlooks on teaching and school: Hector, an eccentric English teacher with no interest in exams; Irwin, a young supply teacher who sees history as "entertainment"; Mrs. Lintott, a traditionalist, who teaches "history, not histrionics"; and a Headmaster obsessed with results. Described as "the richest play Bennett has ever written" (Financial Times), staff-room rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence collide in an intensely moving and thought-provoking play.

Winner of the Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics' Circle, and South Bank Show Awards for Best New Play.

Critic Reviews:

"A superb, life-enhancing play." (Guardian)

"Intensely moving as well as thought-provoking and funny." (Daily Telegraph)

Members Reviews:

wish I'd read it when I was at school

If you ever happen to read this - Thank you for writing ( and not being a gentleman farmer )

History boys, Alan Bennett at his very best.

I had the great privilege of playing the part of Irwin once and this audio book helped me with all the lines and embedded my love for the story. it's a shame that Stephen Campbell More couldn't be in this audio book but all the rest of the cast are original. I love this play but what I love even more if that I discover something new and something funny each time I listen to it.

A MUST

Alan Bennett and along with this amazing cast and production share their craft at its best

Favorite

Most moving story. Can't stop listening again and again. Laugh or cry, love, faith, trust, ttuth, career or education - you choose.

My favourite play

This radio adaptation was beautifully adapted from the original play with very few changes from the script so nothing is lost. Having the original cast, save for Irwin, was the perfect choice as all the actors created their characters and made them each special. I recommend this to anyone and everyone. A magnificent piece of writing.