Dramaturgy Presentation

By Julian Martinez, Gretchen Nelson,

A.J. Lingad, and Brian Kim

Melanie Marnich

Melanie Marnich is an award-winning American playwright and television

writer living in Brooklyn, New York.

Her plays include Quake, Tallgrass Gothic, Cradle of Man and, of course,
These Shining Lives.

She wrote an episode of the HBO drama series Big Love, which centered
around the struggles of a polygamist Mormon family.

Most recently, shes written for the Showtime series The Big C and currently works as the coexecutive producer and writer for the series The Affair, also on Showtime.
She is married to fellow playwright Lee Blessing (1949 - Now), a Pulitzer-nominated writer of
such works as A Walk in the Woods, Black Sheep, and Eleemosynary (p.s. which means of or
relating to charity; charitable).

World War 1.

A global war centered in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11
November 1918
More than 9 million combatants and 7 million civilians died as a result of the war;
it was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, paving the way for major political
changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved.

World War 1.

The trigger for war was the 28 June 1914, assassination of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary
This set off a diplomatic crisis when Austria-Hungary gave an ultimatum to the
Kingdom of Serbia, and entangled international alliances formed over the
previous decades were invoked.
Within weeks, the major powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around
the world.
On 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia and then invaded.

World War 1.

When the war began, the United States proclaimed a united policy of strict
neutrality.
In January 1917 Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare.
The German Foreign minister, Arthur Zimmermann invited revolution-torn
Mexico to join the war as Germany's ally against the United States in the
Zimmermann Telegram.
Offering Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
Due to these offenses, the US declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917

World War 1.

By the end of the war, the German Empire, Russian Empire, Austro-Hungarian
Empire and the Ottoman Empire had ceased to exist.
National borders were redrawn, with several independent nations restored or
created
During the Paris Peace conference of 1919, the Big Four (Britain, France, the
United States and Italy) imposed their terms in a series of treaties. The League of
Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict.
This, however, failed with weakened states, economic depression, renewed
European nationalism, and the German feeling of humiliation contributing to
the rise of Nazism.
These conditions eventually contributed to World War II 20 years later.

Fashion Trends

Clothing fashions changed with women's changing roles in society, particularly

with the idea of new fashion
The most memorable fashion trend of the Roaring '20s was undoubtedly the
flapper look. The flapper dress was functional and flattened the bust line rather
than accentuating it

Cosmetics became a major industry.

Glamour was now an important fashion trend,

due to the influence of the motion picture industry
and the famous female movie stars.

Fashion Trends

Throughout the decade, men wore short suit jackets, the old long jackets being
used merely for formal occasions. In the early 1920s, men's fashion was
characterized by extremely high-waisted jackets, often worn with belts.

Men's hats were usually worn depending on their class,

with upper class citizens usually wearing top hats or a

homburg hat. Middle class men wore either a fedora, bowler
hat or atrilby hat.

Fashion Trends
When it came to the working class, more simpler clothing
was worn such as aprons and dutch caps.

The Great Depression

Before the Depression, America had hit its stride during the Roaring Twenties, in which excess and wealth were
abundant. Throughout the decade the economy steadily rose and rose, leading many to speculate on a possible
recession.
On October 24th 1929 (known as Black Tuesday), the Wall Street Stock Exchange lost more than 12% of its shares, and
rising (or plummeting?). Investors and citizens panicked, forming total chaos on the streets. The seemingly-never ending
success of the Roaring Twenties came to a screeching halt.
From that day forward, the United States went into a devastating economic drought that destroyed most jobs and threw
many into poverty. Unemployment rose to a staggering 25%. That means one-fourth of all Americans did not have a job
to sustain themselves with. Thats 13 to 15 million people.
Up to nearly 5,000 banks closed. In the mining states, including Illinois, the number of malnourished children rose to
nearly 90%. The U.S. GDP (the Gross Domestic Product, which represents the health of the economy through sales and
trade of goods) plummeted by 30%, meaning the stock markets value had gone down by 90%.
International trade was also greatly hit by this, with trade plunging more than 50%.
In most countries, as well as the United States, construction was one of the industries that was hit the hardest by the
Depression. Industrial production declined by 45%. Mining, logging, as well as agriculture in particular were hurt.
Much of the American economy was realigned by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who, freshly inaugurated in 1933,
immediately went to work on reconstructing the economy with his radical New Deal, which put numerous economic and
social domestic programs into effect. This improved the state of the economy and put the U.S. back into shape.
Though the country still had a lot of work to do, it was beginning to look like there was a light at the end of the dark
tunnel that was The Great Depression.

Illinois During the Period

During the 20s, Chicago had become a melting pot for Irish, Italian, Slavic, German and Polish
cultures.
Many labor unions formed in Chicago during the early 20th century, with organized labor being
such a huge factor in its economy and culture. These workers become very involved with the
American Federation of Labor, which attempted to unify laborers and fight for better wages
and conditions.
Violent gang warfare between the infamous mobster Al Capone and his rivals ran rampant in
the streets. Capone made his empire by selling alcohol during the Prohibition era.
During the Depression, Illinois was hit particularly hard, with payrolls dropping 30%. The
government and people of the Chicago fought to keep the citys economy strong and surviving.

Working Conditions

The 1920s marked a period of sharp decline for the labor movement.
Union membership and activities fell sharply in the face of:
Economic prosperity
A lack of leadership within the movement
Anti-union sentiments from both employers and the government.
The stock market crashed in October 1929, and ushered in the Great Depression.
By the winter of 193233, the economy was so perilous that the unemployment
rate hit the 25 percent mark.
Unions lost members during this time because laborers could not afford to pay
their dues and furthermore.

Women in the 1920s

The role of women in the 1920s drastically changed.
Because the men had to fight in the war, women had to take over
their jobs. This gave them an opportunity to show that they have
a place other than inside the household.
Also, women were becoming less conservative and went against
the social and sexual norms that society was used to at the time.
Women often went out in public to smoke, drink, and dance. They
also wore shorter skirts, wore make-up, and cut their hair short.
Women also officially gained the right to vote with the 19th
Amendment being ratified on August 18th, 1920.

1920s Music
The type of music that gained much popularity in the 1920s was
JAZZ.
Jazz is said to have rooted from the African-American
communities in the U.S.
There are many types of jazz but the style that was most popular
during the 1920s was Big Band jazz.
- Big Band style jazz is performed in an ensemble of 10 or more
people. Instruments that were used included saxophones,
trumpets, piano, drums, guitar, and bass.

Medical Conditions Mentioned

Medical conditions that are CURED by radium

Lumbago: Lower back pain
Bronchitis: An inflammation of the bronchial tubes
Pneumonia: Infection that inflames air sacs in one or both lungs, which
may fill with fluid
Arteriosclerosis: The thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the
walls of arteries
Gout: A form of arthritis characterized by severe pain, redness, and
tenderness in joints
Vasomotor Disturbances: Disturbances of the constriction or dilatation of
blood vessels
Chronic Constipation

Medical Conditions cont.

Other medical conditions mentioned in the show:
-Rheumatism: A term used in historical contexts to describe the vast array of
inflammatory joint disorders
-Anemia: A condition in which the blood doesnt have enough healthy red
blood cells. (Diagnosed to Pearl)
-Sarcoma: A type of cancer that occurs in connective tissue (such as tendons),
supportive tissue (such as bones), and soft tissue (such as muscles).
(Diagnosed to Charlotte)
-Malignancy: Characterized as the spreading of cancerous cells to other sites
of the body. (Diagnosed to Catherine; in her hip)
-Necrosis: Cell injury that results in premature death of body tissue.
(Diagnosed to Catherine; in her jaw)

Radium Dial Company

A now defunct United States company that, with the

United States Radium Company, painted clocks,
watches, and other instrument dials with paint
containing radium
The paint used was a mixture of phosphorus and
radium. The Radium Dial Company coined the term
Luna for the paint
The company started in 1917 and was in full
production by 1918
In 1920, the company moved to Peru, Illinois to be
closer to the clock manufacturer and biggest
consumer of the dials, Westclox
By 1922, it had moved to Ottawa, Illinois. At its
highest point, 1,000 girls were employed and more
than 4,300 dials were being made a day.

Radium Dial Company

Scarily, the girls in Illinois were the second set

of Radium Girls. A case nearly identical to
those of the Radium Dial Company was settled
in New York ten years prior to the case in
Ottawa where production continued into the
1930s.
In Catherine Donohues testimony in the court
case against the company, she stated that her
limping had become so bad that other
employees grew terrified. Her superiors told
her, Your limping will cause talk. Were sorry,
but youll have to go.

Radium in General

Discovered in 1898 by Pierre and Marie Currie

Number 88 on the periodic table
The name is derived from the Latin term radius,
meaning ray
Radium now has very few uses because it is so
highly radioactive, but it used to be used in paint
so that it glowed
Before we were aware of the health risks, radium
was used in chocolate, water, toys, nightlights,
toothpaste, cosmetics, and heating pads
Radium occurs naturally in small amounts, but
overexposure causes debilitating health conditions
Ironically, a certain isotope of Radium called
Radium-223 can be used to treat certain cancers.
Radium-223 is not as radioactive and is very similar
to calcium.

Misc. Historical Figures/Places Mentioned

Mayor Big Bill Thompson

William Hale Thompson
Mayor of Chicago from 1915-1923 and then again from 19271931
As of 2015, he is the last Republican Mayor of Chicago
He is among the most unethical mayors in United States
history.
Johnny Torrio
Born Giovanni Torrio but got the nicknames of Papa Johnny,
The Immune, and The Fox
Italian-American mobster who helped build The Chicago Outfit,
which was later inherited by Al Capone
Some considered him to be the biggest gangster in America

Misc. Historical Figures/Places Mentioned

Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone
Became a bodyguard and a kind of right-hand man to Johnny
Torrio, which later lead to his inheritance of the Chicago Outfit
Some recognized him as a modern day Robin Hood
Funnily enough, the only criminal charge they could get him on was
tax evasion, but he was sentenced to 11 years because him being a
symbol of criminality meant the judges were not in his favor.
Mae West
Mary Jane West
American actress, singer, playwright, screenwriter, and sex symbol
Made a name for herself in Vaudeville and in NYC before heading to
the big screen
She has been named among the greatest female stars of all time
However, she has become a controversial star, having to be
censored many times throughout her career

Misc. Historical Figures/Places Mentioned

Rudolph Valentino

Italian-born American actor who starred in several well known silent

films: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and
Sand, The Eagle, and The Son of the Sheik.

A sex symbol of the 1920s, nicknamed Latin Lover

He died in 1926 at the age of 31 after having complications with

appendicitis and gastric ulcers. His death caused mass hysteria
among his female fans, which actually further propelled his iconic
status.
Douglas Fairbanks

American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer

Best known for his roles in his silent films: The Thief of Bagdad,
Robin Hood, The Mark of Zorro.

He was widely successful in swashbuckling films (a subgenre of action

films, often including sword-fighting and adventurous heroic
characters)

He was a founding member of The Motion Picture Academy, and he

hosted the first Oscars Ceremony in 1929.

Fairbanks was referred to as The King of Hollywood until the

switch from silent films to speaking films.

Misc. Historical Figures/Places

The Andrews Sisters

American singing group during the swing and boogie-woogie
eras
The group consisted of LaVerne (contralto), Maxine
(soprano), and Patricia (mezzo-soprano)
During their career, the sisters sold over 75 million records
Their song Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy is considered by
some to be an early example of rhythm and blues/jump
blues
Louise Brooks
Mary Louise Brooks
American dancer and actress
Best known as the lead in three European feature films:
Pandoras Box (1929), Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), and Prix
de Beaut (1930)
Noted for popularizing the bobbed haircut

Misc. Historical Figures/Places Mentioned

Halstead
Major north-south street in Chicago
Comiskey
The White Soxs stadium from 1909-1991
Very modern for its time
It was demolished in 1991 and the land later became what is now part of the
parking lot for U.S Cellular Field
Colliers
American magazine established in 1888 (last issue was in 1957)
It is known for pioneering investigative journalism (muckraking)
Chesterfields
Brand of cigarette made by Altria
One of the most recognized brands of the early and mid 20th century, but sales
have declined steadily over the years

Money
$0.08 in 1922 = $1.14 in 2015
$8 in 1922 = $113.64 in 2015
To give perspective, todays minimum wage workers
only make $68 in a normal, 8 hour work day.
So...
When Charlotte bets $5 dollars, she would be betting
$71.02 in todays money.
When Catherine is awarded $5,661, she would be
receiving $95,810.62 in todays money.

The Real People