PLATO'S ION

This is one of Plato's shorter and, unfortunately, lesser known dialogues. It's a wonderful exchange between Socrates and Ion, who is a Rhapsode--a professional reciter of Homer's epics. This discussion is a classic in literary criticism. Anderson's adaptation of Jowett's somewhat stiff translation is excellent. As they portray the lead characters, the actors aptly express the nuances of the text. The actor portraying Socrates properly moves from being inquisitive to being authoritarian in the conversation while the actor presenting Ion communicates his original con-fidence and later frustration and confusion. M.L.C. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 99]