SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES

Film and stage veteran Hugh Jackman and promising newcomer Ella Beatty perfectly find the nuance, tension, and naturalism in the voices of a small-town college English professor who slides into the "horrible predictability" of an affair with a bright 19-year-old coed. It's certainly not a new tale, but Jackman and Beatty are more than capable of wrestling with the complex issues of consent. Jackman pulls double duty as both the professor and the play's narrator, deftly explaining a married, twice-divorced man's desperate desires for a young woman who is caught between tones of childlike curiosity and newfound confidence. Listeners will hear seduction, innocence, fear, and true heartache. Crisp, intelligent dialogue and grounded, believable acting, and a seamless adaptation from stage to audio. [Published: JANUARY 2026]