2000X A Learned Fable

Radio dramatist Yuri Rasovsky's 2000X series, originally broadcast on NPR, is a bright light in contemporary audio theater. Twain's "A Learned Fable" is a yarn about the "learned" forest animals' encounter with man. David Birney directs the main narrative and keeps the story on track. The supporting cast of characters--the bullfrog, tortoises, snail, spiders, and tumble bugs--is a cacophony of cartoon voices that distract. While the orchestration of sound effects, music, narrative, and asides is precise and varied, the thread of Twain's story, and often the satire, is muddled. It's a high camp romp--original, but not for Twain purists. R.F.W. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]