.
ALI]'
oT,. No. 17.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1890.
PaRCE 3 CNTS.
ART OF PLAYWRITING. ture and classification of all kinds<
A Valuable Work Ifrom the Pen of
Mr. Hennequin.
Messrs. Houghton & Mifflin,
the Boston publishers, will issue
next week, "cThe Art of Play-
Writing," by Alfred Hennequin,
formerly of this University.
Through the kindness of Prof-
Rennequin, we have been permit.
ted to examine advance sheets of
the work, which seems in many
respects a remarkable, and in
bany ways, a unique production.
As the author says in his intro-
dction, there are special reasons
Why a work on playwriting should
not be placed in the same cate-
gory with a work that professes to
teach the art of fiction or of poe-
try. The novelist or poet may
appeal directly to the public, but
he Playwright can reach an au-
'5nce only through the medium
of "a Monstrous, unwieldy instru-
inent of interpretation, rusty with
traditions, top-heaving with prej-
udices, stuffed to bursting with
curious, antiquated, crazy ma-
chinery," namely, the theatre.
To place the young playwright
on intimate terms wiih this instri.-
n5iet of interpretation, and to
teach him to adapt his production
to the actual requirements of the
lnOfderi stage, is in part the object
of the book. With this end in
W, the work is arranged in two
principal divisions ; the first dis-
cussing the feature of the theatre
down to the minutest details; .the
codh , expounding with equal'
thoroughness the principles of
dramatic construction. In the first
Chapters are found lucid explana-
es of the thousand and one
ter t which, having grown up as
aae traditin1s, are so much jar-
gon to the uninitiated, of the na-
of plays, ancient and modern, and
in short, an infinite deal of infor-
mation upon matters theatrical,
which will be sought for in vain
anywhere else. The second part
of the work treats of the construc-
tion of the play, but keeps in mind
the needs, not only of the play-
wright, but of the student and
critic as well, and to this end goes
to considerable length into the
subject of technique from the the-
atrical standpoint. This will give
the book value as a work of refer-
ence ,or all who are studying the
drama for any purpose whatever.
Tlhe last chapters of the book are
practical instructions, ccHow to
Write a Play," the play being built
up step by step before the reader's
eye, from the first crude suggestion
to the detailed outline.
The style of the work is clear
and concise to a fault. Typo-
graphically, it is gotten up with
that scrupulous taste which is char-
acteristic of the Riverside Press.
It will be placed on sale next
week at all the bookstores, and
will undoubtedly meet with a large
sale.
Y. W. C. A. Convention.
Misses Ellen Wheeler and
Katie Ilgenfritz left Ann Arbor
yesterday afternoon, to attend the
state convention of the Young
Women's Christian Association, to
be held at Kalamazoo, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday. Though
the Students' Christian Associa-
tion is not organized on exactly
the same basis, the end of the
work is the same, and, no doubt,
the delegates will return with
many good suggestions as to
methods of work. It is expected
that some good speakers will
come before the convention.
University Foot-Ball Meeting.
The ineeting of the Rugby As-
sociation called for to-morrow
morning is a very important one.
There will be an election of offi-
cers and directors, a partial report
of the canvassing committee, a
discussion of the advisability of
an Eastern trip, projects for rais-
ing funds, and the adoption of a
new Constitution.
The question of a Constitution
for the association is an important
matter. The time of electing
officers should be changed to the
close of the foot-ball season, and
officers then be chosen for the
following year. There will then
be plenty of time for them to be-
come familiV with their duties
before college opens in the fall.
The captain also should be
elected at the close of the playing
season and should be chosen by
the team. We should, if possible,
introduce graduate coaching and
advice into our athletic system.
Let the Constitution provide for
this by appointing an advisory
committee of graduates. Perhaps
the Glee Club could be persuaded
to give a fall concert at Detroit
or Chicago or here for the benefit
of the foot-ball team, as the Har-
vard and Yale clubs do for the
crews.
If these matters are rightly ar-
ranged at the coming meeting, the
U. of M. will soon begin to be
heard from in foot-ball. Other-
wise there seems no prospect but
that the present athletic condition
will continue, or the game die out
with the present corps of players.
Let everybody turn out and at-
tend the meeting.
An Addition to the Library.
Another invoice of books was
received from. Germany last gven-
ing, principally from Leipsic.
Among them are a few books on
Attic inscriptions, which will be
Wright, Kay & Co.
Foreign Buyers, Importers, of Gens
and Art Goods, Jewelers end Op-
ticiaqs ' vjanufacturers of tIe
Finest Society Badges rnade in the
country, Samples sent upon pro-
per references,
DrotOpe ARe BE .,
140 WOOISWARD AYE.,
Detroit,
MichEa.n.
of help to the students in the
Classical department, a larger
number of volumes for the Ger-
man American Goethe library,
among which is an edition of
Faust with French notes by Levy,
and a number of rare bits of
Shakespeariana, both in English
and German. But the largest
part of the invoice is composed of
scientific serials. Among the last
named is a large number of
volumes of Sitzungs berichte der
Koeniglich Preussischen Akade-
mie der Wissenschaften, which
the Science department has been
expecting for some time. For
students in Chemistry there are a
number of valuable books, chiefly
comprised in two sets, "Hand-
woerterbuch der Chemic," and
"Jahres-bericlit ueber die Fort-
schnitte der Chemic, Hrsg. von
Berzelius," one of the best
authorities on the subject to be
found in Germany. The students
of Astronomy will find a number
of volumes of the "Berliner
Astronomisches Jahrbuch." The
Serials are in half leather binding
and present a fine appearance.
The Shakespeariana are old
works, few being later than the
early part of the present century.
Altogether the collection is a
valuable one.