Speaking Out

Cliff-hanging Drama

Professor Clifton Cherpack, Cuisinart Professor of Free French Literature, has hoisted the University upon its own dough hook with his letter in the October 7 Almanac.  His outline of a proposed play, “The Student Prints,” though often choppy in its grammatical structure and syntax, provides a superb blending of romance, satire and humor, worthy of Proust, Melville and Thurber.

Let us hope that Professor Cherpack’s next venture, “Won University,” in which “a man (sic) wins the presidency of a major university in a lottery” will have equal success and not be shredded by the critics.

Apparently, the bare outline given by Cherpack has caught the fancy of people in The Biz. “Won” will soon be a major motion picture (X-rated) and will be followed by a musical adaptation (“The Won!”) on which, according to Variety, Cherpack is collaborating with George Rochberg.  When this collaboration is complete, Variety will no doubt chirp, “Cliff’s Notes Roch Hollywood.” Break a leg, Professor Cherpack!

—Norman J. Glickman,
Rosanadana Associate Professor of Free (French) Association

Originally published in Almanac October 28, 1980

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