The Sound Inside by Adam Rapp

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A good audio play is a thing of beauty, and The Sound Inside is simply wonderful, serving up a little Broadway for your ears. That's exactly how I like it — enjoying a high-quality show while keeping my butt at home in frugal comfort.

This recording features the original cast (Mary-Louise Parker and William Hochman), and they deliver a seasoned performance that would've been worth paying for. But free is better, and that's how much this cost with my Audible membership. 

It's a treat for literature lovers and those who love talking about books. It gives a real feel for the writing process as well. You see that here as the writing prof talks about her own writing life and inspirations, as well as when she mentors her troubled student. Of course, that student almost made me want to check out of this play at first. He's the college kid we've all known who is smart and engrossed in all that he's learning, but also arrogant and unrelentingly opinionated. The early introduction to his character had me ready to delete this off my phone, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

My one regret is breaking this short piece (an hour and 24 minutes) into several brief listens while folding laundry or doing dishes. That's my favorite way to fit a good listen into my life, but I think I would've gotten immersed in this and enjoyed in a fuller way had I sat still and relished the play in one stretch.

If you want to learn more about the novels that practically serve as cast members, BroadwayBox prepared a guide to the literary references.

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