The angel that troubled the waters, and other plays

audiobook

The angel that troubled the waters, and other plays

by Thornton Wilder

EN·~1 hours·19 chapters

Chapters

19 total

THE ANGEL THAT TROUBLED THE WATERS

0:43

FOREWORD

8:37

NASCUNTUR POETÆ

4:54

PROSERPINA AND THE DEVIL

4:11

FANNY OTCOTT

7:17

BROTHER FIRE

5:14

THE PENNY THAT BEAUTY SPENT

5:34

THE ANGEL ON THE SHIP

4:40

THE MESSAGE AND JEHANNE

4:25

CHILDE ROLAND TO THE DARK TOWER CAME

5:05

Description

This collection gathers brief, concentrated plays built around a striking challenge: how much life, history, faith, and human feeling can be placed into only a few minutes. In a foreword that is both candid and playful, the dramatist explains his long fascination with compression and with stripping away the repetitions and transitions that often surround a story. The result is theater reduced to its essential gesture, conflict, and revelation.

The pieces range widely in setting and subject, moving from biblical and legendary scenes to encounters involving artists, saints, and figures from history. A healing pool, a brother associated with fire, Mozart, Ibsen, Saint Francis, and Proserpina all suggest the imaginative variety within these pages. These are not sprawling dramas but finely shaped dramatic moments—ideal for listeners who enjoy literary miniatures, poetic dialogue, and stories that leave a generous space for reflection after the final line.

Details

Language

en

Duration

~1 hours (95K characters)

Release date

Sep 2, 2026

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Thornton Wilder

Thornton Wilder

1897–1975

A celebrated American playwright and novelist, Thornton Wilder brought ordinary lives and timeless questions to the stage and page. His Pulitzer Prize–winning works include The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Our Town, and The Skin of Our Teeth.

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