Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
valise
| 14 | a small traveling bag or suitcase. | | “Blanche comes around the corner carrying a valise.” |
Scene 1: James and Yasha
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
(James) Reproach
| 20 | address in such a way as to express disapproval or disappointment
| | “Well, Stella– You’re going to reproach me, I know that you’re bound to reproach me– but before you do–Take into consideration–You left!” (20) |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
(Yasha) Highbrow
| 16 | scholarly or rarefied in taste.
| | “Only not so–highbrow? I brought some nice clothes to meet all your friends in” (Williams 16). |
Scene 2: Alex and Addison
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Abscond (Addison)
| 42 | leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft.
| | “That I am absconding with something, attempting some kind of treachery on my sister?” (42) |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Quinine (Alex)
| 170 | Quinine is a medication primarily used to treat malaria, a serious and potentially life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted through mosquito bites
| | “Poor lady,” they’ll say, “the quinine did her no good”(WIlliams 170). |
Scene 3: Kona and Brady
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Lunacy (Brady)
| 63 |
Being a lunatic or insane | | “Lunacy, absolute lunacy” (Williams, 63) |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Gallantry (Kona)
| 61 |
Courageous behavior, especially in battle.
| | “Thank you sir! I appreciate your gallantry!” (Williams 61) |
Scene 4: Umar and Michelle
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
(Michelle) Bestial
| 82 |
Resembling a beast, or having brutal, savage, or uncivilized characteristics
| | "There’s something downright—bestial—about him!" (Williams 82). |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
(Umar) Hooey
| 121 |
Nonsense | | “The trouble with Dame Blanche was that she couldnt put on her act any more in Laurel. They got wised up after two or three dates with her and then they quit, and then she goes on to another, the same old line, same old act, same old hooey.” (Williams 121) |
Scene 5: Diego and Katharina
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Jot
(Kati)
| 87 | To write something down quickly
| | “I must jot that down in my notebook.” (Williams, 87) |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Temperamental
| 97 | (of a person) liable to unreasonable changes of mood.
| | “It’s temperamental” (Williams 97)? |
Scene 6: Montserrat, Dolev, and Caroline
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Perspire
(Montserrat)
| 105 | To give out sweat through the pores of the skin
| | “Perspiration is healthy. If people didn’t perspire they would die in five minutes.” (Williams 105) |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Neurasthenic
(Dolev)
| 100 | Emotionally exhausted or mentally fatigued
| | “The utter exhaustion which only a neurasthenic personality can know is evident in Blanche’s voice and manner” (Williams 100) |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Deluded
(Caroline)
| 114 | adjective believing something that is not true.
| | “It was like you suddenly turned a blinding light on something that had always been half in shadow, that's how it struck the world for me. But I was unlucky. Deluded” (Williams 114). |
Scene 7: Caden and Gabe
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Contemptible
(Gabe)
| 120 |
shameful, disgraceful, or despicable. | | “What-contemptible-lies!” (Williams 120) |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Squeamishness
(Caden)
| 119 |
being easily upset or disgusted by unpleasant things, particularly those involving blood, gore, or physical ailments
| | “Lie Number One: All this squeamishness she puts on!” (Williams 119) |
Scene 8: Matteo and Callahan
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Repertoire
(Matteo)
| 130 |
A set of musical pieces, a collection of tricks, or a range of skills
| | “Let me see, now… I must run through my repertoire! Oh, yes—I love parrot stories!”(130) |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
unrefined
(Cal) | 24 | a person or their behavior who is not elegant or cultured.
| | “I'm afraid I'll strike you as being the unrefined type. Stella's spoke of you a good deal. You were married once, weren't you?”(24) |
Scene 9: Colin and Toby
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Malarkey
| 145 | insincere, meaningless, or deliberately misleading talk; nonsense
| | “That pitch about your ideals being so old-fashioned and all that malarkey that you’ve dished out all summer. Oh, I knew you weren’t sixteen any more. But I was a fool enough to think you was straight” (Williams 145). |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Recriminations
(Colin)
| 148 |
an accusation in response to one from someone else:
| | “Crumble and fade and-regrets-recriminations…If you’d done this, it wouldn't’ve cost me that!” (Williams 148). |
Scene 10: Jeremy and Titas
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Transitory
(Titas Vosylius)
| 156 | Not permanent; of brief duration: temporary. | | “I have those things to offer, and this doesn’t take them away. Physical beauty is passing. A transitory possession” (156). |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
conceit
(Jeremy Turgel)
| 158 | excessive pride in oneself.
| | |
Scene 11: Cameron and Aleks
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
Callous
Cameron Young
| 164 | Showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others: cold-hearted or unkind
| | “I always did say that men are callous things with no feelings, but this does beat anything. Making pigs of yourselves” (Williams 164). |
Word | Page | Definition | Image | Use in the play |
perplexity
Aleks Zima
| 167 | inability to deal with or understand something complicated or unaccountable
| | Stage Directions “Blanche stands quite still for some moments–the silverback mirror in her hand and a look of sorrowful perplexity as though all human experience shows on her face” (Williams 167) |
Note
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