The Originalist
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo first 3 months
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $5.42
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Edward Gero
-
Karry Warren
-
Harlan Work
-
By:
-
John Strand
About this listen
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia believed that the United States Constitution is the most reliable source for a fair interpretation of the law as it is applied today. He was, in other words, an "originalist". But aren't the laws written over 200 years ago subject to interpretation - or even guesswork? Edward Gero stars as the late Justice Scalia in John Strand's insightful look at Scalia's life and legal philosophy.
An L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance featuring:
Edward Gero as Justice Antonin Scalia
Kerry Warren as Cat
Harlan Work as Brad
Sound designed by Jeff Gardner, based on an original design by Eric Shimelonis.
Includes a postshow discussion about Antonin Scalia with Nina Totenberg, NPR's legal affairs correspondent; Tara Kole, an entertainment attorney who clerked for Justice Scalia; John Bash, an assistant to the solicitor general at the United States Department of Justice; and Tom Goldstein, a Washington lawyer who's argued 38 cases before the Supreme Court.
Directed by Molly Smith. Recorded before a live audience at the Arena Stage, Washington, DC, in June of 2016.
©2015 John Strand (P)2016 L.A. Theatre WorksListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Best Man
- By: Gore Vidal
- Narrated by: Terrence Currier, Johnny Holliday, Naomi Jacobson, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This darkly satirical drama by Gore Vidal finds two presidential contenders seeking the endorsement of an aging ex-president, and explores how personal agendas can change the course of a nation's destiny. The political intrigues rampant in Vidal's 1960 setting are strangely similar what is going on today. Includes an interview with actors Fred Thompson and Marsha Mason.
-
-
Great Political Drama
- By Ray M on 11-16-16
By: Gore Vidal
-
Once upon a Time in Nazi Occupied Tunisia
- By: Josh Azouz
- Narrated by: Laila Ayad, Tara Lynne Barr, Patrick Heusinger, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this darkly comic, poignant, and at times surreal play, two couples in Tunisia—one Muslim and one Jewish—share a deep and complicated friendship before the German takeover of their country in World War 2. Now under a brutal regime, they face the truth about their long-simmering feelings about friendship and romance as they struggle to save themselves from a Nazi commandant—named Grandma.
-
-
Thought provoking
- By Coco Pazzo on 01-12-23
By: Josh Azouz
-
The Lion in Winter
- By: James Goldman
- Narrated by: Alfred Molina, Kathleen Chalfant, Full Cast
- Length: 1 hr and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Insecure siblings fighting for their parents' attention; bickering spouses who can't stand to be together or apart; adultery and sexual experimentation; even the struggle to balance work and family: These are themes as much at home in our time as they were in the twelfth century. In James Goldman's classic play The Lion in Winter, domestic turmoil rises to an art form.
-
-
Falls flat
- By Helen on 04-04-10
By: James Goldman
-
8
- By: Dustin Lance Black
- Narrated by: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This play is a powerful account of the case filed by the American Federation for Equal Rights (AFER) in the U.S. District Court in 2010 to overturn Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry in the state of California. Framed around the trial's historic closing arguments in June 2010, 8 provides an intimate look at what unfolded when the issue of same-sex marriage was on trial.
-
-
Eyes opened
- By Shannon M. on 02-03-20
-
A Good Day at Auschwitz
- By: Stephen Tobolowsky
- Narrated by: Alan Mandell, Stephen Tobolowsky
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The extraordinary true story of Abe, a man the playwright met at his synagogue. Abe was a fellow of great humor and heart who not only survived three years at Auschwitz - certainly the worst place on earth - but fell in love there. Abe’s life speaks to the resilience of the human spirit, renewal, and hope, even when there seems to be none.
-
God's Man in Texas
- By: David Rambo
- Narrated by: Robert Pescovitz, Morgan Sheppard, full cast
- Length: 1 hr and 40 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A pointed look at organized, merchandised religion; the dangers of pride and ambition; the battes for power between generations; and the redemptive power of faith. A face off for control between a legendary Baptist pastor and an ambitious young preacher.
-
-
"idea play" without any ideas
- By Mary on 06-04-08
By: David Rambo
-
The Best Man
- By: Gore Vidal
- Narrated by: Terrence Currier, Johnny Holliday, Naomi Jacobson, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This darkly satirical drama by Gore Vidal finds two presidential contenders seeking the endorsement of an aging ex-president, and explores how personal agendas can change the course of a nation's destiny. The political intrigues rampant in Vidal's 1960 setting are strangely similar what is going on today. Includes an interview with actors Fred Thompson and Marsha Mason.
-
-
Great Political Drama
- By Ray M on 11-16-16
By: Gore Vidal
-
Once upon a Time in Nazi Occupied Tunisia
- By: Josh Azouz
- Narrated by: Laila Ayad, Tara Lynne Barr, Patrick Heusinger, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this darkly comic, poignant, and at times surreal play, two couples in Tunisia—one Muslim and one Jewish—share a deep and complicated friendship before the German takeover of their country in World War 2. Now under a brutal regime, they face the truth about their long-simmering feelings about friendship and romance as they struggle to save themselves from a Nazi commandant—named Grandma.
-
-
Thought provoking
- By Coco Pazzo on 01-12-23
By: Josh Azouz
-
The Lion in Winter
- By: James Goldman
- Narrated by: Alfred Molina, Kathleen Chalfant, Full Cast
- Length: 1 hr and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Insecure siblings fighting for their parents' attention; bickering spouses who can't stand to be together or apart; adultery and sexual experimentation; even the struggle to balance work and family: These are themes as much at home in our time as they were in the twelfth century. In James Goldman's classic play The Lion in Winter, domestic turmoil rises to an art form.
-
-
Falls flat
- By Helen on 04-04-10
By: James Goldman
-
8
- By: Dustin Lance Black
- Narrated by: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This play is a powerful account of the case filed by the American Federation for Equal Rights (AFER) in the U.S. District Court in 2010 to overturn Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry in the state of California. Framed around the trial's historic closing arguments in June 2010, 8 provides an intimate look at what unfolded when the issue of same-sex marriage was on trial.
-
-
Eyes opened
- By Shannon M. on 02-03-20
-
A Good Day at Auschwitz
- By: Stephen Tobolowsky
- Narrated by: Alan Mandell, Stephen Tobolowsky
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The extraordinary true story of Abe, a man the playwright met at his synagogue. Abe was a fellow of great humor and heart who not only survived three years at Auschwitz - certainly the worst place on earth - but fell in love there. Abe’s life speaks to the resilience of the human spirit, renewal, and hope, even when there seems to be none.
-
God's Man in Texas
- By: David Rambo
- Narrated by: Robert Pescovitz, Morgan Sheppard, full cast
- Length: 1 hr and 40 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A pointed look at organized, merchandised religion; the dangers of pride and ambition; the battes for power between generations; and the redemptive power of faith. A face off for control between a legendary Baptist pastor and an ambitious young preacher.
-
-
"idea play" without any ideas
- By Mary on 06-04-08
By: David Rambo
-
Amadeus
- By: Peter Shaffer
- Narrated by: Steven Brand, James Callis, Michael Emerson, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ambition and jealousy - all set to music. Devout court composer Antonio Salieri plots against his rival, the dissolute but supremely talented Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. How far will Salieri go to achieve the fame that Mozart disregards?
-
-
So glad this is available, but...
- By DARBY KERN on 01-18-19
By: Peter Shaffer
-
'Night Mother
- By: Marsha Norman
- Narrated by: Sharon Gless, Katherine Helmond
- Length: 1 hr and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This play tells the powerful story of an epileptic woman in her early 40s systematically preparing her own death...and the frantic and touching efforts of her mother to stop her. This searing drama, which won the Pulitzer Prize on Broadway, is guaranteed to keep any listener on the edge of their seat.
-
-
You WILL Cry!
- By Idarah on 05-08-14
By: Marsha Norman
-
Mary Stuart
- By: Friedrich Schiller
- Narrated by: Alex Kingston, Jill Gascione
- Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Elizabeth I of England is threatened by the survival of her Catholic cousin, Mary Stuart. Wrestling with her own conscience, the queen agonizes over Mary's fate, amidst fears for her own life. Court intrigue has never been more gripping than in this 'acute study in the art of double-dealing politics'.” (The New York Times)
-
-
Fully dramatic
- By Timoteo on 03-07-18
-
Please Continue
- By: Frank Basloe
- Narrated by: Tara Lynne Barr, Will Brittain, Jake Green, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on the true story of renowned social psychologist Stanley Milgram, Please Continue recounts the infamous obedience experiments at Yale in the 1960s. In that study, participants were asked to administer strong electric shocks to a subject who gave the wrong answer to a question, not knowing that the shocks were fake, and they were the real subject of the study. The play examines how the experiments gave insight into the nature of authoritarianism and individual morality.
By: Frank Basloe
-
The Little Foxes
- By: Lillian Hellman
- Narrated by: Will Brittain, Tim DeKay, Heidi Dippold, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 42 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A scathing examination of a wealthy Southern family and the greed that tears them apart. Regina’s brothers have inherited their father’s wealth, while after years of neglect, her dying husband is determined to see she gets nothing. It will take every ounce of her ruthless guile to outwit her relations and assure herself a gilded future.
-
-
Really wonderful
- By Katherine Lamb on 01-02-20
By: Lillian Hellman
-
The Seagull
- By: Anton Chekhov, Christopher Hampton - translator
- Narrated by: Calista Flockhart, T. R. Knight, Stephen Collins, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull is considered one of his most haunting and atmospheric character studies. A would-be playwright is at war with his egoistic mother while the town has become intoxicated by a sensational author. And as the alluring newcomer steals away Kosta’s only love, their new romance could have devastating consequences.
-
-
Superb
- By Stephen on 03-02-15
By: Anton Chekhov, and others
Related to this topic
-
The Grandmother
- By: Jane E. James
- Narrated by: Anna Cordell, Max Dinnen
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two little girls stand with their heads bowed in my living room. I’m told they’re my granddaughters. Daisy is nine, and Alice seven. Daisy is the spitting image of her mother. This is the first time I’ve met them since my daughter and I fell out after she married that waste of space, Vince. They’ve come to live with me because their mother — my daughter — was murdered. In her own home while they slept close by. I think Vince killed her. But the police can’t prove it. I’ve always known he was no good. He treated my daughter like dirt. I said he’d cheat on her — but she wouldn’t listen.
-
-
Not too outlandish
- By Jackie H on 12-14-24
By: Jane E. James
-
Say No More
- By: Caroline Overington
- Narrated by: Anna Skellern
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who is Audrey Hoedemaker? It's a question her sister Maureen has heard more times than she can count, and she doesn't know what the short answer would be. Little sister, troubled teen, backpacker, musical theatre coach, con artist, childcare worker. Murderer. A tragic, traumatic childhood casts a long shadow on the Hoedemaker sisters. Maureen has worked hard to move beyond the violence of the past and build a good, honest life for herself. Audrey, however, just can't seem to do the same, careening from one state of chaos to another.
-
-
Good read with a not so good ending.
- By Katie A Scribner on 12-26-24
-
The Answer Is No
- A Short Story
- By: Fredrik Backman, Elizabeth DeNoma - translator
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone? Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.
-
-
Narrator doesn’t get Backman’s satire or rhythm
- By joey1603 on 12-01-24
By: Fredrik Backman, and others
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Nemo71 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
Dead Med
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso, Scott Merriman
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Heather McKinley dreamed of becoming a doctor, she imagined curing sick kids and sporting pink stethoscopes. She never anticipated the sleepless nights, grueling exams, and endless labs. And she certainly never knew that her medical school earned the nickname Dead Med thanks to the tragic history of students overdosing on illegal drugs. But Heather would never consider doing anything like that. That is, until her longtime boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself failing anatomy, and her world starts to crumble.
-
-
Hmm
- By Morgan Meaux on 08-22-24
By: Freida McFadden
-
The Grandmother
- By: Jane E. James
- Narrated by: Anna Cordell, Max Dinnen
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two little girls stand with their heads bowed in my living room. I’m told they’re my granddaughters. Daisy is nine, and Alice seven. Daisy is the spitting image of her mother. This is the first time I’ve met them since my daughter and I fell out after she married that waste of space, Vince. They’ve come to live with me because their mother — my daughter — was murdered. In her own home while they slept close by. I think Vince killed her. But the police can’t prove it. I’ve always known he was no good. He treated my daughter like dirt. I said he’d cheat on her — but she wouldn’t listen.
-
-
Not too outlandish
- By Jackie H on 12-14-24
By: Jane E. James
-
Say No More
- By: Caroline Overington
- Narrated by: Anna Skellern
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who is Audrey Hoedemaker? It's a question her sister Maureen has heard more times than she can count, and she doesn't know what the short answer would be. Little sister, troubled teen, backpacker, musical theatre coach, con artist, childcare worker. Murderer. A tragic, traumatic childhood casts a long shadow on the Hoedemaker sisters. Maureen has worked hard to move beyond the violence of the past and build a good, honest life for herself. Audrey, however, just can't seem to do the same, careening from one state of chaos to another.
-
-
Good read with a not so good ending.
- By Katie A Scribner on 12-26-24
-
The Answer Is No
- A Short Story
- By: Fredrik Backman, Elizabeth DeNoma - translator
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone? Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.
-
-
Narrator doesn’t get Backman’s satire or rhythm
- By joey1603 on 12-01-24
By: Fredrik Backman, and others
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Nemo71 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
Dead Med
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso, Scott Merriman
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Heather McKinley dreamed of becoming a doctor, she imagined curing sick kids and sporting pink stethoscopes. She never anticipated the sleepless nights, grueling exams, and endless labs. And she certainly never knew that her medical school earned the nickname Dead Med thanks to the tragic history of students overdosing on illegal drugs. But Heather would never consider doing anything like that. That is, until her longtime boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself failing anatomy, and her world starts to crumble.
-
-
Hmm
- By Morgan Meaux on 08-22-24
By: Freida McFadden
What listeners say about The Originalist
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeremy
- 05-13-17
Remarkably inaccurate
Imagine a play by Ann Coulter about Barack Obama. Pretty bad, right? This is that bad.
The vast majority of the lines by Scalia are contrary to his well-documented positions and the basic rules for Originalism. Just YouTube one of his lectures! The author creates a strawman that can easily be knocked down by misattributing positions and motivation. Kinda like how Coulter discusses Obama.
The young, liberal law clerk who challenges Scalia at every step is written as the most sympathetic character, in contrast to the Evil Scalia. It's stunningly bad.
But the last 30 minutes is an interview with former clerks, and it dispels and undoes everything the play attempts to do; namely, dishonestly portraying the basic rules for Originalism and the judges who follow it still (it used to be orthodoxy as the way to ensure an enduring Constitution and democracy).
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful