THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

Case reads impeccably. He drawls with languid ennui, perfectly capturing the effete attitudes of Wilde. Aphorism after aphorism accompanies this biting satire of the Victorian age, a story of degradation through the worship of beauty. Dorian's casual prayer for lasting youthfulness gets grotesquely answered. He himself maintains all outward charms. Instead, his portrait becomes a mirror of moral descent. In Case's voice, we hear the true decadence of Dorian and his friends, observing life with lazy indifference to anything but their own pleasure. The reading suffers some odd tempi, particularly in considerable pauses between dialogue and attributions. Though jarring, this is a minor glitch in a fine performance. S.B.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 00]