This page focuses on defining and explaining some of the terms and references the play discusses or alludes to.
HIV / AIDS
Excerpt from HIV.gov: “HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex or through sharing injection drug equipment If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). The human body can’t get rid of HIV and no effective HIV cure exists.
First identified in 1981, HIV is the cause of one of humanity’s deadliest and most persistent epidemics.”
Yuppie
A bit like today’s term “bougie,” a yuppie refers to a young person who made their way through college, was having early financial success, and had expensive taste. This was usually used for the segment of the baby boomer generation who achieved wealth early in their careers and lived in the large cities with materialistic aspirations. Often, it was used in a derogatory manner.
Ms. Magazine
Ms. Magazine: Ms. was the first national, feminist magazine in the USA first published in 1972. It focused on “radical” women’s issues and featured writings by female journalists and thought leaders. It was co-founded by Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman-Hughes.
Dig deeper: How Do You Spell Ms.: An Oral History of Ms. Magazine by Abigail Pogrebin, 2011
Basquait
Jean Michel Basquiat was a prolific contemporary American artist during the 1980s until his tragic death at only 27 years old in 1988. He was born in Brooklyn, New York to Haitian-American and Puerto Rican parents and showed artistic ability very early on. He started out creating street art in New York, gaining notoriety with the underground graffiti artists, until his work caught the attention of the affluent art world in 1980. He was one of the few Black artists during this time who received high-profile gallery showings, media attention, and collectors paying top dollar for his work. In 1983, he befriended Andy Warhol and they made several works of art together. His work is categorized by many as neo-expressionism, and it brought attention to racism and race relations in the U.S. and in the art world, often commenting directly on his success and how his art was often tokenized.
Tar Heel
The University of North Carolina basketball team, the Tar Heels, won the National Championship in 1982 with their all-star team that included freshman, Michael Jordan, who made the final shot in the last 17 seconds of the game, bringing the team to victory.
Linda Pritzker & the Pritzker Family
The Pritzker family (100% related to the current Governor of Illinois J. B. Pritzker), is a one of the wealthiest families in the USA and a mainstay of Chicago business and elite society. Linda Pritzker is now a Tibetan Buddhist. Not much is publicized about her time in the early 1980s, but she would have been nearing thirty years old and likely already involved her family’s philanthropic endeavors.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is an American actress with a highly successful career in both theatre and film spanning decades, and a long list of accolades including multiple Academy Awards and Tony Awards. She is known for her acting versatility, meticulous preparation and dedication to roles, and for her ability to perfect accents. In 1982, she starred in Sophie’s Choice, solidifying her skill and prominence in the film industry.
Leave it to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver is a television sitcom that ran from October 4, 1957 to June 20, 1963. It featured the Cleaver family and centered around the youngest son, Theodore, “Beaver,” and his point of view. Many attribute the portrayal of the Cleavers and their lives as a heightened example of the quintessential “American” family during mid-19th century United States suburban life.
John Lithgow
John Lithgow is a U.S.-based actor who has starred in theatre, film, and television, and has a long list accolades including Golden Globes, Emmy Awards, and Tony Awards. As Grady predicts in Redline Collection, Lithgow did in fact receive an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Roberta in The World According to Garp (1982).
Field’s
Marshall Field & Company, or Marshall Field’s, was a department that originated in Chicago and had a prominent State Street location that served as the flagship store when it became a national chain. In 2005, Marshall Fields was acquired by Macy’s, Inc. It had all the typical department store areas including a very expensive (and smelly) designer perfume area.