FAUST

If it’s been a while since you tackled Goethe’s FAUST—like, forever—don’t wait a moment longer. John R. Williams’s sparkling English translation is delightful, full of wit and delicious rhymes, and would be reason enough to fling yourself at it, but this full-cast production more than doubles the pleasure. The actors play it as if we were all Faust and hell were going to be a lot worse than other people. The performances are marvelous, and the sound effects clever and often gorgeous (the choir!). After this rendering of “Walpurgisnacht,” you’ll never see Halloween the same again. One might call this Harry Potter for grown-ups, except that the good guys—well, I wouldn’t want to give away the ending. What a great theatrical experience. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2011]