-Australian Crawl: “This here is what they call the “Australian Crawl.” ” Alternative name for the front crawl swimming stroke, known commonly as freestyle swimming used throughout the Pacific by the end of the 19th century.
-Ball Python: “And, after one very necessary trip to the library, Gerty Fail learned it wasn’t a river snake at all. But a baby Ball Python, a non-venomous but, all the same, deadly constrictor native to the wilds of Africa.” Ball Python, Python regius, is a non-venomous species native to sub-Saharan West Africa, preferring grassland and savannah habitats.
-Chicago River: “There, an offer to realign the grooves on a rickety paddle boat bought them safe passage down the Mississippi where the gift of a perfect-fit quartz to the daughter of a river-barge operator admitted them to the Chicago River.” Beginning in Lake Michigan and weaving throughout the city the Chicago River acted as a crucial developmental tool for the city of Chicago, eventually reaching over 156 miles through the development of man-made tributaries, canals, and locks. The booming industries had a negative affect as they directed their waste and runoff into the river, creating visible signs of pollution.
-Clock Repair: “Mr. and Mrs. Fail came to the States with nothing to their name except for one time honored skill, which had been the primary trade of the Failbottoms (on both sides) for over a hundred years: Clockworking.” A profession dating back to the 1390s, clockmakers were considered leading edge artisans trained in the manufacturing of precision mechanical apparatus. Clockmakers were required to have a working knowledge of a wide range of clock mechanics, designs, and functions all while holding the fine motor skills to manipulate the often-tiny pieces within the clocks.
-Consumption: “Causes of death were blunt object, disappearance, and Consumption…” Tuberculosis, also known as Consumption, is a disease caused by the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis bacteria and spreads through the air from one person to another. The disease often attacks the lungs but can also be found in any part of the body including the brain, spine, and kidneys. Symptoms include severe cough, pain in the chest, coughing up blood or sputum, fever, chills, lack of appetite, and weakness or fatigue.
-DeSoto Town Car: “Oh, they weren’t on the Eastland. No. They were in a brand new DeSoto Town Car…” Named after the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto the DeSoto automobile brand was an offshoot of the Chrysler Corporation from 1928-1961 focusing on midrange priced cars.
-Dr Ian K. Bonner, father of Illinoisian Psychiatry: “Destroying the building’s façade, and upsetting—but not dislodging—the overhead bust of Dr. Ian K. Bonner, Father of Illinoisan Psychiatry.” Psychiatry as a practice began to take shape around the turn of the 18th century when mental illness began to be viewed as a sickness instead of demonic possession. Many attribute the creation of modern psychiatry to the French physician Philippe Pinel in the late 1700s. Psychiatry and the treatment of mental illness in America during the 1920s built off the foundation left by Pinel, Emil Kraepelin, Sigmund Freud, and others.
-Eastland Riverboat disaster: “…some thirteen years back, casualties of the Eastland Riverboat disaster.” The Eastland profited from ferrying people from Chicago to Picnic sites on the shore of Lake Michigan. When the Eastland was first launch the steamer had a maximum capacity of 650 passengers. On July 24, 1915, employees of the Western Electric Company arrived to depart for their annual company picnic. The Eastland was boarded, over the 2,500 passenger maximum, unbalancing the boat. The ship then capsized directly next to the dock trapping hundreds of passengers under and inside the boat. Rescuers attempted to cut through the hull, saving 40 people in the process but more that 800 others perished, including 22 entire families.
-Era of Wonderful Nonsense: “Ten years later, as the nation nears the end of the ‘Era of Wonderful Nonsense,’ so ill-prepared to face the uncertainty of the 1930’s…” Moniker used to describe the 1920’s period in America. Other names include The Jazz Age, and The Age of Intolerance.
-Feral Monk Parakeet: “She is not a parrot. She is a feral Monk Parakeet.” The Monk Parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus, is characterized by its bright green plumage, long and plinted tail, and loud, harsh, screeching voice. These birds also make for interesting house pets as their high intelligence allows them to learn large vocabularies and entire phrases.
-Grantland Rice: “That’s all the news that is the news. Reporting sporting, I’m Grantland Rice.” A crucial figure in the development of sports journalism Henry Grantland Rice, immediately entered a career in sports writing for various newspapers throughout the South and became the first play-by-play announcer broadcast live on the radio, credited with coining the phrase: “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”
Credit: https://www.marintheatre.org/productions/failure/failure-glossary-of-terms
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