Coriolanus


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4.7 stars; 28 reviews)

Shakespeare was passionately interested in the history of Rome, as is evident from plays like Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra. His tragedy Coriolanus was probably written around 1605-07, and dramatizes the rise and fall of a great Roman general, Caius Martius (later surnamed Coriolanus because of his military victory at Corioli). This play is unusual in that it provides a strong voice for the ordinary citizens of Rome, who begin the play rioting about the high price of food, and who continually clash with Coriolanus because of his contempt for plebians. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)

Cast
Caius Martius Coriolanus: thebicyclethief
Citizen: Patti Cunningham
First Citizen/Second Officer/Second Patrician: Chuck Williamson
Cominius: Bob Gonzalez
Fifth Citizen: Availle
First Conspirator/First Officer/Lieutenant/Second Senator/Second Servingman: Todd
First Lord/Sixth Citizen: Tricia G
First Senator: DublinGothic
First Servingman: Leonard Wilson
First Soldier/Herald: John Fricker
Gentlewoman/Second Soldier/Third Lord/Young Coriolanus: Martin Geeson
Junius Brutus: Ron Altman
Menenius Agrippa: Algy Pug
Roman/Second Conspirator/Seventh Citizen: Kristingj
Second Citizen: Peter Makus
Second Lord: Chuck Donovan
Sicinius Velutus: Ric F
Third Citizen: Joshua Letchford
Third Conspirator: Heather Phillips
Third Roman: Lucy Perry
Titus Lartius/Aedile: Delmar H. Dolbier
Tullus Aufidius: Arielle Lipshaw
Valeria: Tiffany Halla Colonna
Virgilia: Amy L. Gramour
Volsce: Max Korlinge
Volumnia: Elizabeth Klett
Narrator: Diana Majlinger
Other roles (crowd voices, etc) read by members of the company.

Audio edited by Elizabeth Klett (3 hr 19 min)

Chapters

Dramatis Personae 2:31 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Act 1 46:01 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Act 2 39:35 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Act 3 37:31 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Act 4 36:43 Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Act 5 36:58 Read by LibriVox Volunteers

Reviews


(5 stars)

"Be gone, you fragments" One of my favorite tradegies.

Great readers and great play!


(5 stars)

First, actors were great! Second, the play is quite underrated. It may not be some people’s cup of tea, but it tackles the thorny issue of negotiating the demands of state, class, family, and self. Plus there’s a very moving homosocial plot to boot!

5 stars for readers, 2 stars for play


(3 stars)

Only the excellent performance by the readers made this worth finishing. Not a single bad reader in this one. Bravo! However... even by Act 3 I had no real feelings about this play other than that I thought Volumina was more than a little creepy. This is one of Shakespeare's more pathetic offerings. It is a tragedy but because there is no internal dialogue, no insight into how any of the characters think and no personal conflict over their decisions it's impossible to connect to any of the characters. You feel for Coriolanus, in a way, because he's so dominated by his mother but that's really it.