raffish (adj): vulgar or cheap (3)

gables (pl. n):decorative elements on the triangular points of buildings’ roofs (3)

attenuates - weakens in strength, force, or degree (3)

redolences (pl. n): fragrances; scents; smells (3)

tinny (adj.) having a displeasing thin, metallic sound. (3)

valise a suitcase (5)

incongruous (adj): odd; incompatible; strange; inconsistent; out of place (5)

[She looks at a slip of paper, then at the building, then again at the slip of paper and again at the
building. Her expression is one of shocked disbelief. Her appearance is incongruous to this setting.]

vivacity (n): liveliness; high-spiritedness; exuberance (10)

[She begins to speak with feverish vivacity as if she feared for either of them to stop and think.]

spasmodic (adj): fitful; irregular; jittery (10)

BLANCHE: Stella, oh, Stella, Stella! Stella for star! [They catch each other in a spasmodic embrace.]

heterogeneous varied, diverse; mixed (17)

reproach (v): to accuse; to blame; to criticize (20)

BLANCHE: 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! I stayed and struggled!

auxiliary secondary, in addition to (25)

gaudy - extravagantly bright or showy, typically so as to be tasteless. (25)

infatuated (adj): passionate

cosmopolitan (adj): a population made up of people from different backgrounds or walks of life

incongruous (adj): odd; incompatible; strange; inconsistent; out of place

[She looks at a slip of paper, then at the building, then again at the slip of paper and again at the
building. Her expression is one of shocked disbelief. Her appearance is incongruous to this setting.]

vivacity (n): liveliness; high-spiritedness; exuberance

[She begins to speak with feverish vivacity as if she feared for either of them to stop and think.]

spasmodic (adj): fitful; irregular; jittery

BLANCHE: Stella, oh, Stella, Stella! Stella for star! [They catch each other in a spasmodic embrace.]

critical (adj): judgmental; disapproving

BLANCHE: What are you doing in a place like this? . . . I’m going to be honestly critical about it!

comply (v): to obey; to submit to another’s will

BLANCHE: You just have to watch around the hips a little. Stand up. . . . Do you hear me? I said stand
up! [STELLA complies reluctantly.]

reluctantly (adv): unwillingly; unenthusiastically; half-heartedly; hesitantly

BLANCHE: You just have to watch around the hips a little. Stand up. . . . Do you hear me? I said stand
up! [STELLA complies reluctantly.]

dubiously (adv): dishonestly STELLA: Does it feel all right?

BLANCHE: [dubiously] Wonderful, honey. I don’t like a bed that gives much.

radiant (adj): showing happiness; shining

BLANCHE: I guess that is what is meant by being in love... [STELLA looks up with a radiant smile.]

reproach (v): to accuse; to blame; to criticize

BLANCHE: 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! I stayed and struggled!

crude (adj): vulgar; obscene; dirty

[He sizes women up at a glance, with sexual classifications, crude images flashing into his mind and
determining the way he smiles at them.]

unrefined (adj): rough; coarse; unsophisticated

STANLEY: I’m afraid I’ll strike you as being the unrefined type.

gloss (v): to give a misleading explanation of something to make it appear better than it actually is
STELLA: She wasn’t expecting to find us in such a small place. You see, I’d tried to gloss things over a
little in my letters.

perpetrate (v): to commit an illegal act

BLANCHE: I don’t understand what happened to Belle Reve but you don’t know how ridiculous you
are being when you suggest that my sister or I or anyone of our family could have perpetrated a
swindle on anyone else.

stalk (v): to walk stiffly and angrily

STANLEY: Then where’s the money if the place was sold?
STELLA: Not sold – lost, lost! [He stalks into the bedroom, and she follows him.] Stanley!

appraise (v): to estimate or judge the value of something

STANLEY: I got an acquaintance who deals in this sort of merchandise. I’ll have him in here to
appraise it.

smoldering (adj): seething; suppressing anger

BLANCHE: Some buttons in back! You may enter! [He crosses through drapes with a smoldering look.]

tribute (n): a gift

STANLEY: What does it cost for a string of pearls like that? BLANCHE: Why, these were a tribute
from an admirer of mine! STANLEY: He must have had a lot of – admiration!

primitive (adj): like a caveman; simple, uneducated, and emotionally volatile

BLANCHE: You’re simple, straightforward and honest, a little bit on the primitive side I should think.
To interest you a woman would have to – [She pauses with an indefinite gesture.] STANLEY: [slowly]
Lay...her cards on the table.

abscond (v): to run away or escape, usually after committing a crime

[STANLEY crosses to the trunk, shoves it roughly open and begins to open compartments.] BLANCHE:
What in the name of heaven are you thinking of! What’s in the back of that little boy’s mind of
yours? That I am absconding with something, attempting some kind of treachery on my sister?

antiquity (n): old age; oldness

BLANCHE: These are love-letters, yellowing with antiquity, all from one boy.

vulnerable (adj): defenseless; weak; helpless; open to attack

BLANCHE: I hurt him the way you would like to hurt me, but you can’t! I’m not that young and
vulnerable any more. But my young husband was and I – never mind about that!

improvident (adj): wasteful; careless and irresponsible with money; not providing for the future
BLANCHE: There are thousands of papers, stretching back over hundreds of years, affecting Belle
Reve as, piece by piece, our improvident grandfathers and father and uncles and brothers
exchanged the land for their epic fornications – to put it plainly!

superior (adj): better; greater than

[BLANCHE looks after him with a certain interest.] BLANCHE: That one seems – superior to the
others.

portiere (n): a curtain hung in a doorway

[STANLEY stalks fiercely through the portieres into the bedroom.]

pinioned (adj): restrained; held/pinned down; immobilized

[STANLEY is forced, pinioned by the two men, into the bedroom. He nearly throws them off. Then all at
once he subsides and is limp in their grasp.]

attenuates weakens in strength, force, or degree

auxiliary secondary, in addition to
dubiously with doubt or uncertainty
fluency ease, smoothness, eloquence
heterogeneous varied, diverse; mixed
implicit contained, embedded, inherent
incongruous not compatible; out of place
infatuated obsessed, passionate
lyricism an emotional or expressive quality
radiant bright; glowing
raffish having a carefree or unconventional style (3)
redolences fragrances
reproach to scold or criticize
spasmodic fitful; occurring in a sudden burst
unrefined crude, unsophisticated
valise a suitcase
vivacity liveliness, cheerfulness

Scene 2

absconding – running away, usually after having stolen something

airily – in a light or frivolous manner
atomizer – a type of spray dispenser that turns liquids (perfume, in this usage) into a
fine mist
fornications – sexual acts
gander – a look
improvident – careless, reckless, irresponsible
perpetrated – committed, carried out
peruse – to read carefully or thoroughly
swindled – cheated
tiara – a type of jeweled headdress resembling a crown
treachery – betrayal, disloyalty

Scene 4
anthropological – concerning the study of human evolution and development bestial –
like a beast; inhuman
bromo – a type of headache remedy
cultivated – developed; nurtured
narcotized – drugged, tranquilized serene – calm, tranquil
stealthily – in a sneaky or quiet manner