The Verge: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

The Verge, credited to Susan Glaspell, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of The Verge by Susan Glaspell. Read in English by a full cast. This play is Glaspell’s recognition of the way in which Victorian society left some women feeling trapped in roles for which they were unsuited. Because of the play’s non-realistic speech patterns and expressionistic elements, it was dismissed by most critics as being muddled and confusing. It has recently been ‘‘rediscovered’’ by feminist theorists, however, who see the work as an important contribution to theatre history. In 1921 when this play was first produced, women were still expected to stay at home and be dutiful wives and mothers. Many women began to voice dissatisfaction with their lack of opportunities and tried to change the situation. Thus, the feminist movement began to take hold. Other women rebelled by retreating into despondency, depression and, sometimes, madness. The Verge also reflects the fascination with Freudian theory that was sweeping the United States at the time. Freud had delivered his first U.S. lectures in 1909, and his theories of psychoanalysis and dream interpretation were widely discussed in many popular publications of the day. (Summary by by Michele Eaton) Cast Anthony: Algy Pug Harry Archer: tovarisch Hattie: Victoria P Claire: Michele Eaton Richard Demming: bala Tom Edgeworthy: Chuck Williamson Elizabeth: Elizabeth Klett Adelaide: Amanda Friday Dr. Emmons: Sarah Parshall Narrator: Tricia G Audio edited by Michele Eaton

Recording facts

• Recording title: The Verge
• Author credits: Susan Glaspell
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 3
• Listed recording duration: 2:23:46

Track guide

1. 01 - Act 1 — 1:09:56
2. 02 - Act 2 — 45:24
3. 03 - Act 3 — 28:26

Listen to this recording

Open the complete recording and player on Internet Archive. The player includes the full track list and available download formats.

Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.