Blackstone presents seven great plays in one volume, illustrating the development of European drama from ancient times to the dawn of the modern theater. A superb repertory company has been assembled for these recordings, joined by distinguished guest artists F. Murray Abraham, John Glover, Rosemary Harris, Lois Nettleton, Barry Morse, Fritz Weaverall under the direction of Audie and Peabody Awardwinning audio dramatist Yuri Rasovsky. These are full performances using the resources of audio to full advantage. Staginess is avoided, lively theatrics enhanced, while the substance of the works remains intact. For instance, in Arms and the Man, audio makes possible the judicious integration of the authors witty scene settings, written for the published version of the play, with the play itself. Music accounts for another noteworthy aspect of these productions. The Imaginary Invalidemploys the score that Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed for Molires own premiere. It is conducted by Steven Ovitsky, president and executive director of the Milwaukee Symphony. The Tempest, composed by Shakespeare as a musical romance, features music from Shakespeares own production, played on period instruments by the Newberry Consort. To ensure fidelity to the themes, atmosphere, and tone of the texts, three noted scholars from Tufts University served as advisors: Professors Peter Arnott, Sylvan Barnet, and Laurence Senelick. All seven plays were produced in the spring of 1985 with the generous assistance of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. Rasovsky's directorial genius lies in his orchestration of passion and restraint. Variety Yuri Rasovskywho wrote andproduced this superior experiencemust be a genius. AudioFile