The Story of a Play : A Novel

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Story of a Play" by William Dean Howells is a novel written in the late 19th century. The narrative centers around the collaborative process of creating a play, primarily through the interaction between a young actor, Godolphin, and the playwright, Maxwell, as they navigate the intricacies of character development and artistic vision. At the heart of the story lies the character Haxard, a man grappling with the consequences of his past as he prepares for success in his present. At the start of the novel, readers are introduced to a conversation between the ambitious actor and the playwright. Maxwell shares his intricate ideas for his new play, which explores themes of biblical morality and the consequences of sin. As the two discuss plot elements, including a pivotal dinner scene and Haxard's complex character, the various challenges of writing for the stage are revealed. The tension between artistic integrity and commercial appeal emerges, especially as Godolphin insists on including more traditional love elements in the play, leading to a discussion of how Maxwell could integrate new ideas without compromising his vision. This opening sets the stage for further exploration of relationships, artistic ambition, and the dynamics of collaboration within the theatrical world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by David Edwards, Janet Blenkinship and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 77.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2006-12-30