Glossary

Terms

"Memories light the corners of my mind":

A lyric from the song "The Way We Were" from the 1973 film of the same name, starring Barbra Striesand and Robert Redford.

This American Life:

A syndicated hour long radio show hosted by Ira Glass

Viking Press:

A publishing house owed by Penguin Random House

Totalitarian:

relating to a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state.

Equity-waiver shows:

Shows performed in playhouses that seat less than 99 audience memebers

"Cast Member" at Disneyland:

A person who works at a Disney Theme Park

Mayor of Toontown:

A character in the Disney Universe named Flippy Doggenbottom. Cast Members play this character in a live show at Disney Theme Parks.

Roger Rabbit:

An animated character created by Gary K. Wolf in 1981. He has appeared in the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? and the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Magic Kingdom

The original Disney theme park in Anaheim, California.

Taper

The Mark Taper Forum is a theatre run by Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles which specializes in new play development.

The Geffen

A non profit theatre founded by Gilber Cates in 1995 and named for major donor David Geffen.

Zephyr

The Zephyr Theatre, originally called the Horseshoe Stage, opened on January 5th, 1956 at a time when intimate performance bases were scarce. It has been a working stage ever since, hosting plays, musicals, readings, workshops, live comedy, and performance based classes. For more than 50 years, the Zephyr has been a mainstay of the Los Angeles theater scene and has hosted writers and performers at every level of achievement, from Oscar and Emmy award winners to new playwrights. The Zephyr Theatre is owned by producer and artistic director, Lee Sankowich.

Johnny Rockets

A 1950s diner style restaurant franchise based out of Los Angeles

Doris Roberts

Born Nov. 4, 1925, Doris Roberts is an actress, author and philanthropist. Known for The Honeymoon Killers, The Love Boat, Remington Steel, National Lampoon and Everybody Loves Raymond.

Dee Wallace Stone

A notable scream queen actress who has appeared in The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling and Cujo. She also appeared in the soap opera General Hospital and as Ellison's mother in E.T.

E.T.

A 1982 film directed by Steven Spielberg about an alien stranded on earth and being befriended by a young boy named Elliot. It is the highest grossing film of the 80's and until Jurassic Park, it was the highest grossing film ever, surpassing Star Wars. E.T. is often considered one of the greatest films ever created.

Matterhorn

The Matterhorn Bobsleds are a pair of intertwined steel roller coasters at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It is modeled after the Matterhorn, a mountain in the Alps on the border with Switzerland and Italy. It is the first known tubular steel continuous track roller coaster. Located on the border between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, it employs forced perspective to seem more impressively large.

Main Street, U.S.A

The first "themed land" inside the main entrance of the many 'Disneyland'-style parks. Inspired by Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri (as in the film Lady and the Tramp), Main Street, U.S.A. is designed to resemble the center of an idealized turn-of-the-20th-century (c. 1910) American town.

The Mad Hatter

A retail shop located in Fantasyland at Disney Theme parks which sells popular souvenirs such as Mickey Mouse ears and princess tiaras.

Banana Republic

A chain of retail stores founded in 1978 as a safari clothing store and acquired by Gap Inc. in 1989; it is now a franchise of upscale clothing.

David Geffen

An American businessman who founded Dreamworks, Asylum Records, Geffen Records and DGC Records.

Lilo & Stitch

A 2002 Disney animated film about a dangerous alien crash landing on earth who is adopted by a young girl named Lilo as her pet dog Stitch. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature

"Dorothy steps from sepia into Technicolor":

A reference to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz in which the technicolor process became popularized.

Liza Minnelli:

An American actress and singer, most known for her role as Sally Bowles in Cabaret

Cloris Leachman

An American actress who holds the highest number of Primetime Emmy Awards (8). She is known for her character Phyllis Lindstrom who first appeared in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Phyllis

A spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show which centered the character Phyllis Lindstrom played by Cloris Leachman.

Judi Dench

A highly acclaimed English actress who has been nominated for 7 Academy Awards and is most known for her work in Shakespearean theatre and film. She also played M. in the James Bond franchise from 1995-2015.

James Bond

A literary and film franchise spanning 64 years about the titular character's life as a British spy.

TCM

Turner Classic Movies; an American broadcasting network whose programming consisted mainly of featured classic theatrically released feature films from the Turner Entertainment film library – which comprises films from Warner Bros. Pictures (covering films released before 1950) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (covering films released before May 1986).

Paris Hotel

Paris Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation. The theme is the city of Paris, France; it includes a half scale, 540-foot (164.6 m) tall replica of the Eiffel Tower,[1] a sign in the shape of the Montgolfier balloon, a two-thirds size Arc de Triomphe, a replica of La Fontaine des Mers, and a 1,200-seat theatre called Le Théâtre des Arts. The front of the hotel suggests the Paris Opera House and the Louvre.

Forum at Caesar's Palace

The Forum Shops at Caesars (also known as simply The Forum) is a major 636,000-square-foot shopping mall connected to Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. Measured in terms of sales per square foot, it is the highest grossing mall in the United States.

The Grove

A popular upscale shopping center in Los Angeles that has a mix of retail, restaurants and entertainment. The Grove has movie theaters, stores like Crate and Barrel, Barnes and Noble, Coach and J. Crew, and restaurants like Bar Verde at Nordstrom, Laduree Boutique and Restaurant and The Cheesecake Factory.

Gigi

A 1958 musical film based on the Colette novella of the same name - starring Leslie Cardon, Louis Jourdan. The film follows the story of a young courtesan named Gigi and her romance with wealthy womanizer Gaston.

Funny Girl

A 1968 musical film starring Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif and Kay Medford which chronicles the life and career and relationships of actress and comedian Fanny Brice. Streisand won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this film, sharing the prize with Katharine Hepburn for her performance in The Lion in Winter. Popular songs from the film are "Don't Rain on my Parade" and "People"

Judy Garland

A very popular actress, singer and vaudevillian whose career spanned over 40 years and whose notable roles include Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Vicki Lester and Esther Blodgett in A Star is Born and Esther Smith in Meet Me in St. Louis.

Passover Seder

A Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of Passover. Observers retell the story of the Israelites' emancipation from Egypt, discuss the story, drink four cups of wine, eat matza (an unleavened bread), partake in the symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate and recline in celebration of freedom. It is one of the most commonly observed of the Jewish rituals.

"A little girl in Fatima..."

Refers to the 1917 events in Fatima, Portugal in which three children witnessed several visitations by the Virgin Mary. A chapel was erected there and several thousand Catholics make pilgrimage to this chapel every year.

Irene Sharaff

A highly acclaimed costume designer known for her work on West Side Story, Funny Girl, The King and I (Broadway) and Porgy and Bess. A lifetime achievement award in costume design is awarded each year in her name.

Cecil Beatons

An English photographer, painter and designer known for his portraits of celebrities and fashion photography. He worked for both Vogue and Vanity Fair but was fired after anti-Semitic rhetoric was found in his photography. He won an Academy Award for his art direction and costume design of Gigi and My Fair Lady.

Back to Broadway

Barbra Streisand's 26th studio album released on June 29, 1993 which featured 12 Broadway standards including "Some Enchanted Evening", "Luck Be a Lady" and "Children Will Listen".

Ark of the Covenant

In Judeo-Christian faith, refers to a gold covered wooden chest that contains the tablets on which the 10 Commandments were inscribed.

75 bits per second:

Modems are regulated by how much data they can process in a minute. 75 bits per second is pretty fast

Donna Karan

An American fashion designer and the creator of Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.

Jimmy Stewart

Born May 20, 1908 - an acclaimed American actor who was the first American movie star to enlist in WWII. Notable roles include George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life, L.B. Jeffries in Rear Window and Scottie in Vertigo. He recieved an Academy Award for his performance in The Philadelphia Story.

It's a Wonderful Life:

1946 classic Christmas film wherein the main character, George Bailey, a hopeless miserly man, plans commits suicide on Christmas Eve but is visited by his Guardian Angel who shows him what life would be like if he had never been born.

Mr. Hooper

A classic Sesame Street character - one of the first humans to appear on the program. He owened Hooper's Store, a variety store and diner that the Muppets frequently visited.

Bea Arthur

Born May 13, 1922 she was an American actress, comedian, singer, and animal rights activist. She had a career that spanned 70 years with notable roles in All in the Family, Maude and Golden Girls.

Mrs. Lovett:

A character in Sondheim's Sweeney Todd famously played by Angela Lansbury. Owner of a pie shop with which the titual character she makes baked pies with human flesh.

Dorothy Zbornak

Bea Arthur's popular character from The Golden Girls who was a very strong, sarcastic woman.

Jennifer Aniston

An American actress, producer and business woman born Feb. 11, 1969. She is most known for her role as Rachel on the popular show Friends.

Rachel Cut

Popularized by Jennifer Aniston, this bobbed haircut was the hallmark of her character Rachel on Friends. The haircut became a symbol of beauty for lots of women in the 90s.

The Groundlings

Founded in 1974 by Gary Austin, The Groundlings is an improv troupe and school. From characters developed there, alum have created such films and shows as Pee-Wee Herman, Austin Powers, Night at the Roxbury and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.

French Resistance

A collection of French movements that fought against the Nazi occupation of France and the Vichy regime.

Battle of the Third Arrondissement

May not have actually been an actual battle but the 3rd Arrondissement of Paris is historically home to a large Jewish population and became a hub of LGBT culture in the 1980s.

Tallises

Fringed prayer shawls worn by some Jewish cultures

Music Man

A musical written and composed by Meredith Wilson about a con man who arrives in a small Iowan town and falls in love with the local librarian. It won five Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Tank in Tiananmen Square

Refers to the "Unknown Protester" who famously placed himself in front of Chinese military tanks on June 5, 1989 to resist the communist rule of China.

Prince of Tides

A 1991 film starring Barbra Streisand and Nick Notle about a man overcoming his abusive childhood with the help of a New York psychiatrist with whom he subsequently falls in love.

Dickenisan victim

Relating to characters in the writings of Charles Dickens who are characterized by great suffering and povery.

Louis Kind

Barbra's stepfather who has been characterized as a harsh and abusive man who often called her ugly.

Farbissina

embittered, sullen, mean; a sourpuss,

Veda Pierce

A fictional character in James M. Cain's novel Mildred Pierce and later the film - she is the eldest daughter of the titular character; a pretentious and ambitious girl who thinks working is below her.

Joan Crawford

An American actress known for her films Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Grand Hotel. She was also known for her famed rivalries with several of her colleagues and abusive relationship with her daughter which was chronicled in the book and film Mommie Dearest.

Mildred Pierce

A 1945 novel which was adapted into a film starring Joan Crawford, Jack Carson and Zachary Scott about a divorced woman trying to support herself and her children during the Great Depression

chutzpah

shameless audacity, impudence

Mensches

a person of high integrity and honor

Rona Jaffe

An American novelist and columnist for Cosmopolitan magazine. Her novel The Best of Everything was adapted for film starring Joan Crawford - which may have inspired HBOs Sex and the City.

The Best of Everything

Rona Jaffe's 1958 novel that chronicled the lives of five young employees of a NY publishing company. Known as a feminist piece.

Mr. Whipple

A fictional character featured in Charmin toilet paper commericals from the 60s to the 80s. His catchphrase was "Please don't squeeze the Charmin!"

AppleWorks

An integrated office suites program introduced for Mac computers in 1984 which went on to include a word processor, a drawing program, a painting program, a presentation program (in version 6), a spreadsheet, a database program, and a terminal program for communications (up to version 5). This program was discontinued in 2007.

Dot-Matrix printer

A type of computer printing which uses a print head that moves back-and-forth, or in an up-and-down motion, on the page and prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper, much like the print mechanism on a typewriter. However, unlike a typewriter or daisy wheel printer, letters are drawn out of a dot matrix, and thus, varied fonts and arbitrary graphics can be produced.

"Au revoir, mon amie"

Goodbye my friend

Barbara Boxer

The former democratic US Senator from California (1993-2017) and member of the House of Representatives (1983-1993). She is known for her liberalism and commitment to the establishment of cure based legislation for diseases like AIDS/HIV and laws for reproductive rights and hate crimes, specifically the Matthew Shepherd Act.

Jason Gould

The son of Barbra Streisand and former husband Elliot Gould - he is a writer, singer and actor.

Schmatta

A ragged, old piece of fabric or garment

Rachel Maddow

Born April 1, 1973 - Maddow is an American political commentator, TV host, and author who is known for her liberal point of view.

Salon

Salon is an American news and opinion website created by David Talbot in 1995. The site is owned by Salon Media Group. It focuses on U.S. politics, culture, and current events from a politically progressive or left-wing perspective

HuffPo

HuffPost is a politically liberal American news and opinion website and blog that now has both localized and international editions. Founded by Andrew Breitbart, Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti.

Rob Reiner

Born March 6, 1947 - an American actor and director known for his role as Michael Stivic on All in the Family and his direction of films such as Misery, Stand By Me and When Harry Met Sally. He was nominated for an Academy Award for directing A Few Good Men.

James Brolin

Born July 18, 1940 - An American actor known for his roles in Marcus Welby, M.D., Capricorn One and Hotel. He is the husband of Barbra Streisand and father to actor Josh Brolin.

Marcus Welby, M.D.

An ABC medical drama airing from 1969-1976 starring Robert Young as the titular character and James Brolin as his younger private practice partner Steve Kiley. Brolin's character drove a motorcycle and was known for his more straight laced conventional bedside manner juxtaposed against Young's character who was more traditional personally but had a more congenial, radical bedside manner.

Capricorn One

1977 Thriller film starring James Brolin, OJ Simpson, Elliot Gould, and Sam Waterston about a government conspiracy to fake the first manned mission to Mars.

Elliot Gould

An American actor born August 29, 1938 who is known for his roles in M*A*S*H, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice - for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, and The Long Goodbye. He married Barbra Streisand in 1963 after meeting her while starring in the Broadway play I Can Get it For You Wholesale. The couple had a son, Jason Gould, and divorced in 1971.

Shirley Booth

Shirley Booth (August 30, 1898 – October 16, 1992) was an American stage, film, radio and television actress. Her most significant success was as Lola Delaney, in the drama Come Back, Little Sheba, for which she received her first Tony Award in 1950. She made her film debut, reprising her role in the 1952 film version, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance. From 1961 until 1966, she played the title role in the sitcom Hazel, for which she won two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Hazel

An NBC sitcom running from 1961 to 1966, starring Shirley Booth as the titular character, about a live in domestic worker and the family she worked for.

KCRW

a National Public Radio member station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, where the station is licensed.

Schmendrick

A stupid person, especially an awkward one.

Seymour in Little Shop

The lead character in Howard Ashman and Alan Menkin's rock musical Little Shop of Horrors. Seymour begins the play as a shy awkward man who gains his confidence and ultimately the girl after an encounter with a man eating space plant named Audrey II.

Motel in Fiddler

The poor, hardworking tailor in Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's musical Fiddler on the Roof, who marries the oldest daughter of the central family in the play.

Herbie in Gypsy

A character in the Sondheim musical Gypsy who becomes the manager of the two young vaudville performers, getting sucked into the clutches of their overbearing mother Rose.

Mama Rose

The overbearing, archetypal stage mother in Gypsy.

Yentl

A play by Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer about a young Jewish girl who disguises herself as a boy to study Jewish Law and theology in 1800s Poland. It was later adapted into a musical film by Barbra Streisand in 1983.

Arthur Laurents

An American playwright, director and screenwriter whose titles includ West Side Story, Gypsy and Hallelujah, Baby!

Sir Thomas More

An English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was also a councillor to Henry VIII, and Lord High Chancellor of England from October 1529 to 16 May 1532.

Utopia

A fictional socio-political satire written by Sir Thomas More in 1516 about the political system of an imaginary ideal island nation.

Aubosson rugs

A type of rug making originating in 17th century France - where the weaving creates three dimensional patterns. True Aubusson rugs are still made by hand.

Sandy Gallin

A famous American producer and manager born May 27, 1940

Omar Sharif

An Egyptian actor born April 10, 1932. Sharif was fluent in five languages and appeared in films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Funny Girl and Doctor Zhivago

Ryan O'Neal

An American actor born April 20, 1941. He is known for his Oscar nominated performance in Paper Moon, What's Up Doc?, and A Bridge Too Far.

Kris Kristofferson

Born June 22, 1936 Kristofferson is an American singer-songwriter who famously penned "Me and Bobby McGee", "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and others. He along with Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash formed The Highwaymen. He also starred in A Star is Born which earned him a Golden Globe.

Don Johnson

An American actor known for his roles on Miami Vice and as the titular character on Nash Bridges.

Richard Gere

An American actor whose notable films include An Officer and a Gentleman, American Giggalo, Pretty Woman and Chicago.

Liam Neeson

An Irish actor known for his roles in The Bounty, Next of Kin, Schindler's List and several action film franchises including Taken and Star Wars.

Peter Jennings

a Canadian-American journalist who served as the sole anchor of ABC World News Tonight for 22 years from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 2005.

Andre Agassi

an American retired professional tennis player and former World No. 1 who was one of the sport's most dominant players from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s and is considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.

Shtupped

To have sex with.

Pierre Trudeau

a Canadian statesman who served as the 15th Prime Minister of Canada

Meeskite

An ugly, funny looking, geeky, unattractive person.

The Mirror Has Two Faces

a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama starring Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, Pierce Brosnan and Lauren Bacall . The screenplay by Richard LaGravenese is loosely based on the 1958 French film Le Miroir a deux faces written by André Cayatte and Gérard Oury, which focused on a homely woman who becomes a beauty, which creates problems in her marriage.

Criterion Collection

The Criterion Collection, Inc. is an American home video distribution company which focuses on licensing "important classic and contemporary films" and selling them to film aficionados

Hannibal Lecter

A character from a series of novels by Thomas Harris. Lecter is cannibalistic serial killer - most notably played on film by Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Foucalt

A notable 20th Century French philosopher and social theorist

Lauren Bacall

An American actress who popularly starred in several Film Noirs alongside Humphrey Bogart. She is known for her sultry looks.

Mimi Rogers

an American film and television actress, producer and competitive poker player. Her notable film roles include Gung Ho (1986), Someone to Watch Over Me (1987), and Desperate Hours (1990). She garnered the greatest acclaim of her career for her role in the religious drama, The Rapture

Jeff Bridges

an American actor, singer, and producer. He comes from a prominent acting family and appeared on the television series Sea Hunt (1958–60), with his father, Lloyd Bridges and brother, Beau Bridges. He has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning one for Best Actor in 2009 for his role in Crazy Heart.

Elle Macpherson

an Australian model, businesswoman, television host and actress. She is well known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s, leading to her nickname The Body.

Nuts

A 1987 film starring Barbra Streisand, Richard Dreyfuss and Karl Malden. When call girl Claudia Draper kills client Allen Green in self-defense, her mother Rose and stepfather Arthur attempt to have her declared mentally incompetent by Dr. Herbert Morrison in order to avoid a public scandal. Claudia knows that, if her parents succeed, she will be remanded to a mental institution indefinitely, so she is determined to prove she is sane enough to stand trial.

Pierce Brosnan

An Irish actor producer and activist most known for his roles in Remington Steele, and as James Bond from 1995 - 2002.

Hadassah chapter

Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer organization that inspires a passion for and commitment to its partnership with the land and people of Israel. It enhances the health of people worldwide through its support of medical care and research at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem. Hadassah empowers its members and supporters, as well as youth in Israel and America through opportunities for personal growth, education, advocacy and Jewish continuity.

Summer Stock

A 1950 movie starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. A farm owner whose actress sister Abigail arrives at the family farm with her theater troupe. They need a place to rehearse, and Jane and her housekeeper Esme reluctantly agree to let them use their barn. The actors and actresses, including the director Joe Ross, repay her hospitality by doing chores around the farm. Although Joe is engaged to Abigail, he begins to fall in love with Jane after Abigail leaves him in an angry fit. Similarly, although Jane is engaged to Orville, she falls in love with Joe.

MGM

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer one of the premiere movie production companies that ushered in the Golden Age of film.

"Get Happy"

Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler in the 1930s the song was popularized in the 1950 film Summer Stock by Judy Garland.

Loew's Kings Theater

a movie palace-type theater in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. Opened in 1929 and closed in 1977, the theater sat empty for decades until a complete renovation was initiated in 2010. The theater reopened to the public on January 23, 2015 as a performing arts venue. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 22, 2012.

Louis B. Mayer

a Belarusian-Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Mayer was skilled at developing star actors, including child actors, then placing them in consistently slick productions, such as musicals or comedies, for which MGM became famous. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the most prestigious film studio, accumulating the largest concentration of leading writers, directors and stars in Hollywood.

Louise

One of the lead characters in Gypsy. She is the elder sister of the vaudeville performing duo. She is shy and lonely.

Dainty June

One of the lead characters in Gypsy. She is the younger, outgoing sister of the vaudeville performing duo.

"You'll Never Get Away from Me"

A song from Gypsy sung by Mama Rose and Herbie - it details their timultuous relationship and Rose's manipulative nature.

Rose Hovick

the mother of two famous performing daughters: burlesque artist Gypsy Rose Lee and actress and dancer June Havoc and inspiration for the "Momma Rose" character of the musical Gypsy.

Olivia de-Havilland

a retired American actress. Her career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films, and was one of the leading movie stars during the golden age of Classical Hollywood. She is best known for her early screen performances in The Adventures of Robin Hood and Gone with the Wind, and her later award-winning performances in To Each His Own, The Snake Pit, and The Heiress.

Joan Fontaine

a British-American actress best known for her starring roles in Hollywood films. Fontaine appeared in more than 45 feature films in a career that spanned five decades. She is the younger sister of Olivia de Havilland.

Tchotches

a small object that is decorative rather than strictly functional; a trinket

Monticello

Monticello was the primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, who began designing and building Monticello at age 26 after inheriting land from his father. It is located in Charlottesville, VA.

Architectural Digest

an American monthly magazine founded in 1920. Its principal subject is interior design, not architecture more generally, as the name of the magazine suggests. The magazine is published by Condé Nast, which also publishes eight international editions of Architectural Digest. Architectural Digest is aimed at an affluent and style-conscious readership, and is subtitled "The International Design Authority". The magazine also oversees the AD100, a list of top 100 architects and interior designers around the world.

Mishigas

Craziness.

Jon Peters

A former hairstylist turned Hollywood "producer" who had a relationship with Barbra Streisand after designing a wig she work in For Pete's Sake.

Candy Spelling

an American author, television personality, and philanthropist. She is the widow of Aaron Spelling

Mrs. Robinson

A character in the novel and subsequent film The Graduate. She seduces a young recent college grad into an affair.

Sunday in the Park with George

a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The plot revolves around George, a fictionalized version of Seurat, who immerses himself deeply in painting his masterpiece, and his great-grandson (also named George), a conflicted and cynical contemporary artist.

Karl Malden

An American actor known classic films such as A Streetcar Named Desire (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), On the Waterfront, Pollyanna, and One-Eyed Jacks. Malden later played in high-profile Hollywood movies such as Baby Doll, How the West Was Won, and Patton, as well as appearing on U.S. television as Lt. Mike Stone on the 1970s crime drama, The Streets of San Francisco and as the spokesman for American Express.

Pedro Almodovar

a Spanish film director, screenwriter, producer and former actor.He came to prominence as a director and screenwriter during La Movida Madrileña, a cultural renaissance that followed the death of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Almodóvar achieved international recognition for his black comedy-drama film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and went on to more success with the dark romantic comedy film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990), the melodrama High Heels (1991) and the romantic drama thriller Live Flesh (1997). His subsequent two films won an Academy Award each: All About My Mother (1999) received the award for Best Foreign Language Film while Talk to Her (2002) earned him the award for Best Original Screenplay. The film to which Barry refers is probably The Skin I Live In.

Sisal Rug

Sisal is a natural fiber derived from the long, green leaves of the 'agave sisalana' cactus plant. Sisal grows in semi-arid regions in Africa and Brazil. Sisal fibers (which can be up to three feet long) are sustainably harvested by hand from the leaves of the cactus plant. Sisal is not the same fiber as coir or jute. Sisal is stronger and more durable than other natural fibers. In fact it is used for rope and twine. These qualities make Sisal a preferred material for carpet and rugs. Sisal’s textured look is a favorite of interior designers


Character Names

ALEX

Protector

Defender

Helper

JAMES

He grips the heel

Supplanter, to trip up or throw

The twilight of the Gods

BARBRA

Foreign, strange

Protectress

Firelight

SHARON

Old Testament

Plain

Fertile plain

Name of a shrub

VINCENT

Latin name

Conquering

To conquer

BARRY

Irish boy name

Spear

Fair haired