Evening star., 1949-10-23
THE SUNDAY STAR, Washington, D. c.
SUNDAY ocToBER
A Book and q Chair
Will Bring You Drama
Former Theatergoers May Substitute
Exciting Authors for Actors
By Joy Cormody

purpose Of publishers to keep
Washngtonians informed about the theater until
restores the legitimate drama to its legitimate place in the Capt.
tails culture.
Nevertheless out something that time
theatergoer who has play short Of oueyng New
York pick book two almost any week to m up any
Nor is this unhappy substitute good book. comfort
able chair and ample lamp frequency provide more diver
might find seeing stage production there
one see 1t recipe that this department has tested
IN recommending it to the community at large.
Pair O. Rewarding
The past weeks time spent pair Of rather
rewardng books dealing with specific and dramatically
Edels Complete Plays of Henry
published by Lppincot The other The Human
Of Playwrting snguary fresh volume creative
writing by Samuel Raphaeison the playwright issued by Mac
milan
view of the fact that Mr. James of the more
logically be raised Why would any one want to read the
record of his failure in the form Of the plays themselves?
Truly aute investors would certainly not at
$40 a copy instance this not the of Mr.
Edes scholarly work In long critical analysis James and
story gifted enough fix
place himself English literature but who remained defeated
the dramatic form which he wanted to master
this narrative of ormented conflict the irony that
while Ede himself incapable Of making drama OF his
material lesser moderns The Goetzeks Ruth and
Augusta converted James washington Square
ss'issne0 sf is4s. as one Oh A'''"''0' 'y N''''N ~
Another Adaptation Found.
Another James fiction 1.-THE Screw" the
title THE mnocents attracted considerable the
theater dramatized by William Archibald last
rights regetaby by
producers Meyers and Tom
Ann Noyes Despite this The mnocents" restive
work. far vital candidate for production than
able to make Of his deliberately dramazed hctons
Mr.. Edel journalist by profession writes of like
lively the trail of good human story is rich de-
fruaton One facet Of the narrative which cynical modns
surely will find pquant that James interest in the theate had
at least superb Hollywood touch AS writer dis
tul of the economics Of his he always fascinated by
the could make by turning hit for
the stage.
This revelation suggests todays strange mangs
literary artists and rich Americans James might have made deal
with Hollywood had the latter existed in his day.
Mr. Edels THE Complete Plays of
for than few rich private libraries but
the volume public university book collection will
well to give second thought than merely
preSsve looking in its $40 solidity.
Diary of Writing Group.
Mr.. Raphaeson's THE Human Nature of Paywritng" is
something that interested creative writing should
Joy reading It dramatically conceived book,
right unlikely the work OF who wrote such hit plays
Accent Youth" and "Skylark"
The fact is that it did not start at ALL It grew out
OF semester OF teaching experimental teaching of creative
writing by the author at the University of illinois,
1u man might but apparently Mr. Raphael
son had senographc transcript that
said in his classroom and in outside sessions
The basic premise of his whatever creative
writing material his students with would
their lives The material evolved discussed and dsseced
turned out to be intimate interesting and exciting
In the stenographers transcript Raphaelson
found himself surprisingly possessed of characters
80 students and their teacher
Out Of this he and Macmillan made a book "The Human
Nature of Playwrting."
" 1t makes in turn informative and enjoyable reading.