Showing results by author "RICHARD" in Literature & Fiction

Part One, The Fellowship of the Ring, introduces us to Frodo Baggins. With his uncle Bilbo having mysteriously disappeared, Frodo finds himself in possession of a simple gold ring that has great and evil power. It is the Ruling Ring, taken long ago from the Dark Lord, Sauron, who now seeks to possess it again. Frodo must do everything he can to prevent this, and with the help of Gandalf the wizard and a band of loyal companions he begins a perilous journey across Middle-earth.

Romantic havoc ensues in the town of Bath when Sir Anthony arrives to arrange the marriage of his son Captain Jack Absolute to the wealthy Lydia Languish. Jack and Lydia are already in love, but because of Lydia’s obsession with romantic novels, Jack has disguised himself as a poor officer named Ensign Beverly – and he is only one of Lydia’s many suitors. i>The Rivals was Sheridan’s first play, and this charming comedy of manners continues to be widely performed today. Includes an interview with Linda Kelly, author of Richard Brinsley Sheridan: A Life.

This timeless comedy of manners is considered one of Molière's most probing and mature works. While it's still an exemplar of 17th century farce, Molière went beyond his usual comic inventiveness to create a world of rich, complex characters, especially in the cynical title character Alceste, played here by the Tony Award-winning actor Brian Bedford.

Death stalks Corvis by night, and only an unlikely group of heroes known as the Black River Irregulars can put an end to the terror. The labyrinth of tunnels beneath Corvis is home to some of the city’s worst criminals, but now even these hardened thugs have reason to watch their step in the dark, shadowy undercity.

Initially banned in France by King Louis, Molière's celebrated social satire Tartuffe exposes false piety and hypocrisy in the Catholic Church. When a pious fraud worms his way into a wealthy family and manipulates the patriarch into giving up his fortune, it’s up to his family to expose the truth before they end up in the poorhouse!

Steed and Dr Keel return to action in these four re-creations of classic lost episodes.

Beware the gossips! Lady Sneerwell and her hireling, Snake, are certainly up to no good in this timeless send-up of hypocritical manners. Thanks to their scandal-mongering, the comely Lady Teazle must fend off the slanderous barbs that have caught the ear of her elderly husband - as well as every other gossip in London! What follows is a torrent of mistaken identities and sex-crazed scheming in which the upper classes have never looked so low class.

A collection of poignant, romantic and funny tales performed by Academy Award -winning actor William Hurt. This collection includes a bonus track of an exclusive interview with William Hurt. Hurt's readings are thoughtful, tender, romantic, and resonant. A treasure.

An adaptation of the prose & poetry of author Raymond Carver and his wife, Tess Gallagher. The story chronicles the final year of Carver's life, when he was struggling to finish his final book. This two-person play is a coproduction with Chicago's City Lit Theater.

Molière wrote some of the most durable and penetrating comedies of all time. The Imaginary Cuckold and The School for Husbands are two of his grand farces of marriage and misunderstanding, one set in Paris and the other in the provinces. In The School for Husbands, a tyrannical husband-to-be seeks to isolate his ward, while unwittingly carrying her messages of devotion to her lover. In The Imaginary Cuckold, an enraged husband imagines his wife is unfaithful, but is reluctant to defend his honor.

In this biting comedy of errors, the hapless Arnolphe is undone by his own double dealing and double standards. The School for Wives was first performed at the Palais Royal theatre on December 26, 1662, and is considered by many to be Moliere's masterpiece. Richard Wilbur's subtle verse translation illuminates the great master of comedy at his wittiest.

Renowned theater critic John Lahr created a bold reworking of Richard Condon’s political thriller, updating the action to the 1990s while retaining the core premise of a brainwashed war hero who’s programmed to become an assassin. Kelsey Grammer stars as Raymond Shaw in this co-production with Chicago’s Shattered Globe Theatre, starring the original cast.

A boating accident leaves famed hunter Sanger Rainsford of New York City alone, exhausted, and washed ashore a remote island with a dark reputation. In search of food and shelter, Rainsford happens upon the expansive chateau of the mysterious General Zaroff, and soon finds himself a player in the most dangerous game he has ever encountered.

A young lieutenant is sent to interrogate two strangers who were apprehended whilst intruding at a secure RAF base. The man seems strangely familiar, could pass for Lord Byron, and says he's an alien; meanwhile his female friend is apparently from 1930. As the lieutenant tries to find out what they're doing on his base, something connects them with a strange incident earlier in the day: stories of a giant insect....

In 17th-century Sicily, a clever valet named Mascarille tries to help his boss, Lélie, win the girl of his dreams – only to find that Lélie is a monumental dunce who ruins every one of his intricate schemes. Undaunted, Mascarille invents progressively wilder plots, only to see his best-laid plans go very awry in Molière’s The Bungler, translated by Richard Wilbur.

When a group of American professors gathers in London to teach a theatre course, the sparks fly as they squabble over academic politics, with egos, reputations, and careers at stake.

In this wild satire, a Mexican immigrant has a feverish dream while studying for his American citizenship exam. He meets a parade of characters ranging from Sacagawea to Teddy Roosevelt to Jackie Robinson, who take him on a mind-bending, hilarious, and poignant trip through American history

In this classic farce, a young man pretends to be a war hero to impress a pretty girl. As his lies progress, so do his troubles - with hilarious results. Playwright Pierre Corneille’s comedy of manners is considered a groundbreaking work that influenced contemporaries such as the young Molière. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast production, starring Tara Lynne Barr, Janine Barris, Sue Cremin, Danny Mann, Christopher Neame, John Sloan, Mark Sullivan, and Matthew Wolf Includes a conversation about Corneille and French drama with Larry F. Norman of the University of Chicago.

Vom Kampf der Götter, dem Ringen um ewige Macht und unsterbliche Liebe – Richard Wagners Opernzyklus "Der Ring des Nibelungen" verhandelt die ganz großen Themen und machte ihn schon zu Lebzeiten weltberühmt. In ihm treffen wir auf die Rheintöchter, den Zwerg Alberich, die Walküren und natürlich auf den Helden Siegfried. Sie alle sind dem Wagnerianer wohlbekannt. Doch nun gibt es erstmals Hörspiele, beruhend auf den Libretti, die die opulente Sprachgewalt der Opern in den Vordergrund stellen. Mit einem herausragenden Sprecherensemble hat der rbb etwas Einzigartiges gewagt und die Wagner-Texte aufregend neu entdeckt.

It's Christmas 1980, and inside a sprawling Upper West Side apartment, Faye Bascov is about to throw an opulent Christmas dinner - a tradition for this secular, well-educated Jewish family. But any family gathering is an invitation for old resentments to boil over, as Faye's sister-in-law Julie and the extended family have plenty to hash out. Flash-forward to 2000, and the apartment, now much shabbier, reflects how the family's fortunes have changed, and the Bascovs now have to reckon with the legacy of their family discord.