Season 1 Episode 19

Twelfth Night is a beloved comedy play written by William Shakespeare, believed to have been composed in the early 1600s. The play showcases Shakespeare's remarkable wit, wordplay, and exploration of themes such as love, mistaken identity, and the unpredictability of human emotions. "Twelfth Night" remains one of Shakespeare's most popular and frequently performed works.

The plot of "Twelfth Night" revolves around a series of mistaken identities and romantic entanglements. The story takes place in the fictional kingdom of Illyria, where the shipwrecked Viola disguises herself as a young man named Cesario to serve Duke Orsino. Viola finds herself falling in love with Orsino, who, in turn, is infatuated with the Countess Olivia. However, Olivia becomes smitten with Viola, thinking she is Cesario, leading to a delightful tangle of romantic misunderstandings.

The play is filled with memorable characters, including the witty fool Feste, the scheming Malvolio, and the comically inept Sir Toby Belch. Shakespeare's masterful use of language and his ability to interweave humor and poignant moments create a rich and entertaining experience for the audience.

In the 1940s, "Twelfth Night" was adapted into a radio presentation as part of the "Columbia Presents Shakespeare" series. This radio program aimed to bring the timeless works of Shakespeare to a broader audience through audio adaptations. The radio presentation of "Twelfth Night" allowed listeners to immerse themselves in the language and lively exchanges of the play, capturing the essence of Shakespearean comedy in an auditory format. The adaptation showcased the enduring appeal of "Twelfth Night" and solidified its place as a cherished work in the Shakespearean canon.

Books in Sound is a free podcast series that presents a collection of hundreds of the world’s greatest books through the magic of the performing arts.

Different from audiobooks: Instead of having a single narrator read an audiobook, these performances have a full cast of actors, suitable background music, and special effects that help define the drama.

Most presentations are from old time radio theater broadcasts that have been remastered to remove most of the hissing, clicking and volume fluctuations. Many of the presentations are from the 1930's and 1940's, so a significant amount of work went into the remastering process.

Most presentations are about one hour, some are multiple hours, and some are abbreviated presentation that last about half an hour, making this series wonderful for bedtime stories, self-improvement by learning about literature, or simply as a very imaginative form of entertainment.

The episodes are not sequential, but we do recommend listening to the complete collection starting with the first episode so that you can grow and benefit from the wide assortment of styles and content.

For more information visit https://www.booksinsound.com