Audiobooks by Eugene O'Neill

Eugene O’Neill: A BBC Radio Drama Collection: 9 Full-Cast Productions including Long Day’s Journey i

"Nine classic plays from the award-winning American dramatist, plus a selection of his poetry Eugene O'Neill’s revolutionary 20th century dramas changed the direction of American theatre, introducing European realism and experimental techniques to the US stage. He wrote more than 50 plays, portraying characters on the margins of society and tackling controversial issues, winning a Nobel Prize, and four Pulitzer Prizes. We open our collection with his magnificent autobiographical magnum opus, Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Described by the playwright as having been ‘written in tears and blood’, it recounts one tragic day in the lives of the Tyrone family, as they struggle with addiction, disease and despair. Next is The Hairy Ape, based on O’Neill’s experiences as a labourer on a transatlantic liner. A Moon for the Misbegotten, the sequel to Long Day’s Journey Into Night, follows grief-stricken alcoholic Jamie Tyrone as he grasps at love under the Connecticut moonlight. Meanwhile, Desire Under the Elms plays out the themes of Greek tragedy in 1850s New England. Widely considered as O’Neill’s finest work, The Iceman Cometh is an epic tale chronicling the pipe dreams and shattered illusions of a group of no-hopers in a seedy New York bar. It is followed by another Manhattan-based drama, Hughie. Divided into three parts Mourning Becomes Electra retells the story of The Oresteia, Aeschylus’ tragedy of passion, murder, suicide, revenge and a family destroyed by Fate. In contrast, the comedy Ah, Wilderness! is a sentimental portrait of young love and small-town domesticity. And in Anna Christie, a prostitute finds a chance for redemption when she is reunited with her estranged sea-captain father and falls in love with a sailor. Also included is a bonus programme, The Quest for the Golden Girl, featuring some of O’Neill’s comic and romantic poems, read by John Fellows and Denis Lawson. NB: Some of these pieces contain language and attitudes that reflect the age in which they are set. First published 1920 (Anna Christie), 1922 (The Hairy Ape), 1925 (Desire Under the Elms), 1931 (Mourning Becomes Electra), 1933 (Ah, Wilderness!), 1940 (The Iceman Cometh), 1941 (Hughie), 1941-43 (A Moon for the Misbegotten), 1956 (Long Day’s Journey Into Night) Content List - Long Day’s Journey Into Night - The Hairy Ape - A Moon for the Misbegotten - Desire Under the Elms - The Iceman Cometh - Hughie - Mourning Becomes Electra - Ah, Wilderness! - Anna Christie - The Quest of the Golden Girl 'If you like the plays of Eugene O'Neill, then there's a lot to enjoy in this comprehensive collection, which provides listeners with almost nineteen hours' worth of material ... His ear for dialogue, brought to life by different generations of excellent actors, ensures that his words are a pleasure to listen to' - Greg Jameson. © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Eugene O'Neill (Author), Anthony Jackson, Brian Hewlett, Dominic West, Full Cast, Nigel Stock, Ray Mcanally, Robert Beatty, Sarah Badel, Shaun Dingwall (Narrator)

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Tomorrow

"Eugene Gladstone O’Neill was born on the 16th October, 1888, in the Barrett hotel which would later become part of Times Square. During the painful childbirth his mother was administered morphine and subsequently became addicted to it for several years.In his youth O’Neill was sent away to the Catholic boarding school St. Aloysius Academy for Boys in the Riverdale area of the Bronx. Here he found solace in books from the realities of both the tough schooling and distant parents. Although an unexceptional student he went on to study at Princeton University, though only for a year. Leaving without qualifications, O’Neill went to sea for several years. Here he found himself turning frequently to alcohol to cope with the conditions at sea which led to alcoholism, and, in turn, depression. He did though develop a deep love for the sea and its people despite everything and it became a major theme throughout his writing career.O’Neill married for the first time in 1909. However, it only lasted 3 years and in 1912-13 he spent time recovering from tuberculosis at a sanatorium. After a long period of recuperation, he decided to enrol at Harvard University, but again left after only a year. In 1914 O’Neill’s first play, the one-act ‘Bound East For Cardiff’, was performed at a small theatre in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It was obvious to everyone that O’Neill was prodigiously talented and several of his plays would now progress from small theatres to the fabled Broadway.By 1920, and on his second marriage, ‘Beyond The Horizon’ reached Broadway and won him a coveted Pulitzer Prize. His other play that year? ‘The Emperor Jones’ was a huge commercial success.In 1922 his Mother passed and naturally somewhat dulled the sensation of a second Pulitzer Prize, this time for his play ‘Anna Christie’. Incredibly his ideas and pen continued to generate hit plays and in 1928 he received his third Pulitzer Prize, for the play ‘Strange Interlude’. O’Neill abandoned his second wife and family in 1929 in favor of an actress from San Francisco. Shortly after they married and moved to the Loire Valley in France that same year. On the 26th October 1931, ‘Mourning Becomes Electra’ debuted at the Guild Theatre on Broadway. It retold the ‘Oresteia’ by Aeschylus. Shortly thereafter he began a lengthy period of literary inactivity.In 1936 O’Neill was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature and he now moved to California. By the 1940’s his own health was being undermined with a Parkinson’s-like trembling in his hands which rendered writing very difficult. Disenchanted he rushed to complete three more, largely autobiographical, plays, ‘The Iceman Cometh’ (1939), ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ (1941) and ‘A Moon for the Misbegotten’ (1943). It was a momentous period for his writing as he pushed himself to complete these great works before his hands would fail.On the 27th November 1953 O’Neill, now 65, was lying in bed in Room 401 of the Sheraton Hotel in Boston. He knew he was dying, “I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room and died in a hotel room.” Three years after his death in defiance of Eugene’s instructions that it be allowed to wait 25 years ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ was staged. The play won O’Neill a posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 1957, it was his fourth."

Eugene O'Neill (Author), Eric Meyers (Narrator)

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The Foundations of Fiction - Modernism

"In this series we turn the pages of classic short stories to put together the literary building blocks of how a particular genre or theme began, how it built its foundations to become the well-loved and well-worn genre that it is today.Do authors have the same ideas at more or less the same time? Or can they sniff out an opportunity as to which way the tastes of an audience are moving. Success undoubtedly builds success and in literary terms we can more politely say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the surest way to reach a hungry readership is to build on the fortune and flair of your literary colleagues. It’s a reality that the term ‘modernism’ was first used for stories well over a century ago. Like fine wines they have aged remarkably well. In this volume the talents of Virginia Woolf, F Scott Fitzgerald, Katherine Mansfield, James Joyce are testament to the craft, imagination and literary chops these authors have brought to prose in one of its most enduring literary movements. 01 - Foundations of Fiction - Modernism - An Introduction2 - Bliss by Katherine Mansfield3 - Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F Scott Fitzgerald4 - The Legacy by Virginia Woolf5 - The Dead by James Joyce6 - Here We Are by Dorothy Parker7 - Odour of Chrysanthemums by D H Lawrence8 - If I Were A Man by Charlotte Perkins Gilman9 - Tomorrow by Eugene O'Neill10 - Friday by Zona Gale11 - The Defense of Strikerville by Damon Runyon12 - Rooms by Gertrude Stein13 - The Mark on the Wall by Virginia Woolf14 - The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield15 - Eveline by James Joyce16 - His Smile by Susan Glaspell17 - A Cullenden of Virginia by Thomas Wolfe18 - Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield19 - The Golden Honeymoon by Ring Lardner20 - Winter Dreams by F Scott Fitzgerald21 - Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf22 - Ariel's Triumph by Booth Tarkington23 - Speed by Sinclair Lewis24 - Araby by James Joyce25 - The Ice Palace by F Scott Fitzgerald26 - The Fly by Katherine Mansfield27 - White Bread by Zona Gale28 - A Dill Pickle by Katherine Mansfield"

Booth Tarkington, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, D.H. Lawrence, Damon Runyon, Dorothy Parker, Eugene O'Neill, F Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Katherine Mansfield, Ring Lardner, Sinclair Lewis, Susan Glaspell, Thomas Wolfe, Virginia Woolf, Zona Gale (Author), Eric Meyers, Eve Karpf, Laurel Lefkow (Narrator)

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Anna Christie: Full Cast Drama

"'Anna Christie,' a play written by Eugene O'Neill, delves into the tumultuous and poignant life of its titular character, Anna Christie. Set against the backdrop of the gritty and unforgiving world of sailors and dockworkers, the play navigates themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the search for identity. Eugene O'Neill, one of America's foremost playwrights, crafted this drama with his characteristic depth and realism. He was known for his ability to portray the complexities of human emotions and relationships, often drawing from his personal experiences and observations of life's darker aspects. With 'Anna Christie,' O'Neill explores the inner struggles of a woman seeking to reconcile her past with her desire for a new beginning. The story follows Anna, a woman with a troubled history, who reunites with her estranged father, a Swedish-American barge captain named Chris Christopherson. As they attempt to rebuild their relationship, Anna's past as a prostitute and her yearning for a fresh start become central to the narrative. The play's tension rises when Anna falls in love with a sailor named Mat Burke, who, upon learning of her past, must confront his own prejudices and ideals. O'Neill's work in 'Anna Christie' is a profound examination of human nature, revealing the complexities of love, shame, and the quest for acceptance. Through his characters, O'Neill paints a vivid picture of the struggles that define the human experience, making the play a timeless exploration of the human condition."

Eugene O'Neill (Author), Geoffrey Giuliano, Ross Cain, The Oracle (Narrator)

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Beyond the Horizon

"Beyond the Horizon is a 1920 play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. It was O'Neill's first full-length work, and the winner of the 1920 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play focuses on the portrait of a family, and particularly two brothers Andrew and Robert. In the first act of the play, Robert is about to go off to sea with their uncle Dick, a sea captain while Andrew looks forward to marrying his sweetheart Ruth and working on the family farm as he starts a family. (Summary by Wikipedia)"

Eugene O'Neill (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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Anna Christie

"Dating back to the 6th century BC, Aesop's Fables tell universal truths through the use of simple allegories that are easily understood. Though almost nothing is known of Aesop himself, and some scholars question whether he existed at all, these stories stand as timeless classics known in almost every culture in the world. This is volume 12 of 12. (Summary by Chip)"

Eugene O'Neill (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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Desire Under the Elms

"Eugene O’ Neill’s tale of Ephraim Cabot, greedy and hard like the stone walls that surround his farm, the family patriarch brings home his new young bride, Abbie. His grown sons disapprove; one leaves but the other stays to fight for the family fortune. What follows is a tragedy of epic proportions. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Paul Adelstein, Orson Bean, Amy Brenneman, Dwier Brown, Maurice Chasse and Charlie Kimball."

Eugene O'Neill (Author), Various Performers (Narrator)

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Anna Christie

"The passion of a coal barge captain’s daughter and a rough-hewn sailor takes a tumultuous turn when her secret past is revealed. Nobel laureate Eugene O’Neill won the second of his four Pulitzer Prizes for this heroic classic. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance starring: Stacy Keach as Chris Christopherson Alison Elliot as Anna Christopherson Dwier Brown as Mat Burke Scott Lowell as Larry Alley Mills as Marthy Owen"

Eugene O'Neill (Author), Various Performers (Narrator)

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