THE WRONG NAME.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 939, 5 March 1908, Page 17

THE WRONG NAME.

“ In the recent ‘ Honour List,’ says Sir William Gilbert, “ I found myself politely described by some Court flunkey as ‘ Mr GPber , play-wright.’ Nine times out of ten. when a dramatic author is referred to by a newspaper man he is described as a ‘ playwright.’ The term ‘ wright,’ is properly applied to one who follows a mechanical calling, such as a wheel-wright.

a mill-wright, a Cartwright, or a shipwright. We never hear of novel-wrights, or poem-wrights, or essay-wrights; why, then, of play-wrights ? There is a convenien word, * dramatist,’ that seems to describe fully one who devotes his time to writing dramas, taking the word drama ’ in the broadest sense.”