text
stringlengths
1
10.6k
= = = Constance Titus = = =
Constance Sutton Titus (August 14, 1873 – August 24, 1967) was an American rower who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics.
In 1904 he won the bronze medal in the single sculls.
= = = 13th legislature of the French Fifth Republic = = =
The 13th legislature of the French Fifth Republic was the parliamentary cycle started in June 2007 and lasted until June 2012. It was created after the 2007 legislative election that took place on 10 and 17 June 2007. The parliamentary majority belonged to the conservative Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), and supported the François Fillon government.
= = = Delores G. Kelley = = =
Delores Goodwin Kelley (born May 1, 1936) is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. She is currently serving in her 4th term in the Maryland State Senate, representing Maryland's District 10 in Baltimore County.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia on May 1, 1936, Kelley received a bachelor's degree from Virginia State College in 1956. She went on to earn three more degrees; an M.A. in education from New York University, an M.A. in speech communication from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Maryland, College Park. A lifelong educator, Kelley has taught at Coppin State University since 1973. She volunteered or served with a number of organizations, most prominently the Democratic Party, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Baltimore Urban League. Kelley is a member of the Union Baptist Church in Baltimore.
Kelley was originally elected to the legislature as a member of the House of Delegates in 1991. Following redistricting and after only one term in the House, she successfully ran for a seat in the State Senate representing Baltimore County. Kelley serves both as the chair of the Executive Nominations Committee and as a member of the Finance Committee. She is also a member of the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.
= = = KTHK = = =
KTHK is a commercial radio station located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, broadcasting on 105.5 FM. KTHK airs a country music format branded as "The Hawk". The station is owned and operated by Riverbend Communications.
-Don Jarrett
-Tommie Jo
Don Jarrett "The Early Bird Show" 5:30-10am
Tommie Jo 10am-2pm
Justin Pierce 2-7pm
= = = Content assist = = =
Content/Code assist is functionality provided by some IDEs, which helps the developer to write code faster and more efficiently. This is achieved by simplifying the task of coding to allow focus on the business task being coded. Based on the context of the code, content assist provides the developer with a list of accessible keywords according to a programming language specification, variable, methods, data types, ...
Autocomplete allows quickly typing names in the context of the code. It can be further improved to assist the developer.
For example, in an XML context, when the developer types an opening tag "<" he is offered a list of tags via autocomplete, contextualized following the DTD or XML schema of the document. As the developer types more letters, the offered choices are filtered to only retain the relevant completions. When the developer finally completes the tag, the editor automatically generates the closing tag.
Other autocomplete techniques exist. For example, using the Eclipse IDE to code in Java, a developer can just type in the first letter if lowercase and the uppercase letters from a type/variable name then press Ctrl+space to be offered all the choices that match the entered letters that are valid for the current context (class name, interface name, variable or field names).
Code snippets allow the developer to add a complex coding structure by typing a minimal amount of text. Code snippets can only be used in a valid context (statements snippets are only offered when you can insert statements).
For example, using the Eclipse IDE to code in Java, a developer can type in "instanceof" then press Ctrl+space which will replace "instanceof" by the following code snippet:
This code snippet can be further customised by the developer, with the IDE placing the cursor:
= = = First Leisure Corporation = = =
First Leisure Corporation plc was a leisure operator in the United Kingdom between the years 1981 and 2004.
Originally based in Soho Square, London, and with other offices in Blackpool and Leicester, its operations included Blackpool Tower, the WinterGardens and all three of Blackpool's piers, as well as five other piers, health and fitness clubs, nightclubs and bars, tenpin bowling centres and other mainstream UK high street entertainment venues.
In 2000 a management buyout (MBO) financed by 3i and PPM Holdings saw First Leisure shed all but its Nightclubs and Bars division, which retained the First Leisure brand and consisted of approximately fifty mainstream high street venues. The MBO saw the company de-listing from the stock exchange (whilst retaining its plc status) and moving its operations to Leicester.
At that time, the Health and Fitness chain was spun off as Esporta.
By 2004, the company had shrunk its operations from 50 to 25 nightclubs; in so doing, it had sold its premises leases to rival operators. A clause of such sales mandated that should those new operators be unable to meet their obligations under the leases that they would be automatically reassigned to First Leisure with little warning or ceremony.
At the end of 2004, such an automatic reassignment took place following competitors' defaults on a number of previously sold leases. Unable to meet the dramatically increased month-to-month obligations brought about by this mandatory re-acquisition, the company was subject to a Winding Up Order by a trade creditor and hence placed into Compulsory Liquidation by the Official Receiver.
A 'Phoenix' company, named The Nightclub Company, was formed virtually immediately by the incumbent management team. Such an operation was short-lived, however, and it too was placed into administration in 2005. The precise circumstances regarding the collapse of TNC are unclear.
The remaining leases were sold, mostly to long-time rival Luminar Leisure.
All that remains of the corporation as of 2007 is the Esporta health and fitness chain.
= = = Anthonie Verstraelen = = =
Anthonie Verstraelen or Van Stralen (Gorkum, 1593/1594 - Amsterdam, 1641) was a Dutch landscape painter, best known (with Hendrik Avercamp and his nephew Barend Avercamp) for his winter scenes.
Gillis van Stralen, Antonie's father, was a textile merchant. The family originated in Weert but moved between 1584-1590 to Gorkum, presumably because of Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma's armies marching through the area.
We don't hear much from Anthonie Verstraelen, until 1635 when he married Catalijntje van Oosten from Antwerp. The location of the wedding is unknown. The couple went to live in Oude Spiegelstraat, near Singel. In Amsterdam Antonie got into a dispute with the Sint Lucasgilde, for its laxness in allowing in too many non-citizen painters.
In 1641 he was buried in the Westerkerk. In 1644 his two children inherited two hundred guilder each from the sale of their father's paintings. The paintings must have been sold very cheap. His widow remarried their guardian Emmanuel Jacobszoon van Hoogerheijm, an unknown Leiden 'fijnschilder'. Three months later their first son became born, Jacob van Hogerheijm, who also became a forgotten painter.
"This article is a translation from the Dutch Wikipedia".
= = = St. Raymond Academy = = =
St. Raymond Academy for Girls is a private, Roman Catholic high school for girls in Parkchester, Bronx, New York, United States. It was established in 1960 by the Sisters of Charity and located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
The school has been accredited by the NYS Board of Regents since 1965. The Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association first granted the academy accreditation effective 2003–2010. In 2009–2010, the academy completed the review for re-accreditation and received the renewal of certification. Accreditation has been renewed until December 2017.
St. Raymond Academy was established in 1960 by the Sisters of Charity, a congregation of religious women in the Catholic Church whose primary missions are education and nursing. For nearly 200 years, the Sisters of Charity of New York have served the needs of the poor. The congregation's history began with its foundress, Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was later canonized as the first American-born saint. Since Saint Raymond Academy for Girls opened its doors, its motto has been "Commitment to Excellence".
St. Raymond Academy for Girls began as a small, parish-based high school with an enrollment of 95 students. Msgr. John Corrigan, the pastor at the time, appointed Sr. Regina Angela, a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of New York, as the first principal. The school occupied the third floor of the school building built in 1952 and through the years has prided itself on serving a relatively small school population. In order to better meet its educational goals, the school was recognized with a NYS Board of Regents Charter in 1965 and with an additional accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 2003, which was recently renewed.
The Sisters of Charity were joined through the years by the Sisters of St. Dominic Blauvelt and Sparkill, the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of the Holy Child, and lay women and men.
The school's program of studies is primarily college-oriented, with business, computer and science electives included in upper years. In addition to preparing students for a New York State Regents Diploma with four-year programs in English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Spanish and Science, the school also offers Advanced Placement courses in English Literature and Composition, United States History and Government, and Spanish Literature and Language.
= = = Isku-class motor torpedo boat = = =
The "Isku" class motor torpedo boat () was a Thornycroft type motor torpedo boat of the Finnish Navy. The vessel was constructed in 1926 by the "Borgå varv", in Porvoo, Finland, and she saw service in World War II. "Isku" differed from the original Thornycraft design through its torpedo launching method (they were released from the sides of the hull, in contrast to dropping them from the aft). However, she was not a successful design and she only participated in the Winter War and during the first months of the Continuation War. She was stricken from the navy lists in 1942, due to extensive wear damage on the hull. She was moored at Suomenlinna and was scrapped after the war.
= = = Entheogenic drugs and the archaeological record = = =
Entheogenic drugs have been used by various groups for thousands of years. There are numerous
historical reports as well as modern, contemporary reports of indigenous groups using entheogens, chemical substances used in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context.
A Finnish study assayed psilocybin concentrations in old herbarium specimens, and concluded that although psilocybin concentration decreased linearly over time, it was relatively stable. They were able to detect the chemical in specimens that were 115 years old.
The Maya, Olmecs, and Aztecs have well-documented entheogenic complexes. North American cultures also have a tradition of entheogens. In South America, especially in Peru, the archaeological study of cultures like Chavin, Cupisnique, Nasca and Moche, have demonstrated the use of entheogens through archaeobotanical, iconographic and paraphernalia.
The Olmec (1200 BCE to 400 BCE) lived in Central America and are largely viewed by many as the mother culture of Aztecs and Maya. The Olmecs left no written works on their belief structures, so many interpretations on Olmec beliefs are largely based on interpretations of murals and artifacts. Archaeologists state three reasons for believing that the Olmecs used entheogens:
The Maya (250 BCE to 900 CE) flourished in Central America and were prevalent even until the arrival of the Spanish. The Maya religious tradition was complex and well-developed. Unlike the Olmec, the Maya had religious texts that survived to this day. The Maya religion displayed characteristic Mesoamerican mythology, with a strong emphasis on an individual being a communicator between the physical world and the spiritual world. Mushroom stone effigies, dated to 1000 BCE, give evidence that mushrooms were at least revered in a religious way.
The late Maya archaeologist, Dr Stephan F. de Borhegyi, published the first of several articles in which he proposed the existence of a Mesoamerican mushroom cult in the Guatemalan highlands as early as 1000 B.C This cult, which was associated from its beginnings with ritual human decapitation, a trophy head cult, warfare and the Mesoamerican ballgame, appears to have had its origins along the Pacific coastal piedmont. Borhegyi developed this proposition after finding a significant number of small, mushroom-shaped sculptures in the collections of the Guatemala National Museum and in numerous private collections in and around Guatemala City. While the majority of these small stone sculptures were of indeterminate provenance, a sufficient number had been found during the course of archaeological investigations as to permit him to determine approximate dates and to catalog them stylistically (Borhegyi de, S.F., 1957b, "Mushroom Stones of Middle America," in Mushrooms, Russia and History by Valentina P. Wasson and R. Gordon Wasson, eds. N.T.)
Quoting archaeologist Stephan F. de Borhegyi:
"My assignment for the so-called mushroom cult, earliest 1,000 B.C., is based on the excavations of Kidder and Shook at the Verbena cemetery at Kaminaljuyu. The mushroom stone found in this Pre-Classic grave, discovered in Mound E-III-3, has a circular groove on the cap. There are also a number of yet unpublished mushroom stone specimens in the Guatemalan Museum from Highland Guatemala where the pottery association would indicate that they are Pre-Classic. In each case the mushroom stone fragments has a circular groove on the top. Mushroom stones found during the Classic and Post-Classic periods do not have circular grooves. This was the basis on which I prepared the chart on mushroom stones which was then subsequently published by the Wassons. Based on Carbon 14 dates and stratigraphy, some of these Pre-Classic finds can be dated as early as 1,000 B.C. The reference is in the following"...(see Shook, E.M. & Kidder, A.V., 1952. Mound E-III-3, Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala; Contributions to American Anthropology & History No. 53 from Publ. 596, Carnegie Institution of Washington, D.C. (letter from de Borhegyi to Dr. Robert Ravicz, MPM archives December 1st 1960 )
The most direct evidence of Maya entheogen use comes from modern descendants of the Maya who use entheogenic drugs today.
The Aztec entheogenic complex is extremely well documented. Through historical evidence, there is proof that the Aztecs used several forms of psychoactive drugs. These drugs include Ololiuqui (the seed of Rivea corymbosa), Teonanácatl (translated as “mushroom of the gods," a psilocybe mushroom) and sinicuichi (a flower added to drinks). The Xochipilli statue, according to R.G. Wasson, gives the identity of several entheogenic plants. Other evidence for entheogenic use of the Aztecs comes from the Florentine Codex, a series of 12 books vividly describing the Aztec culture and society, including the use of entheogenic drugs.
There are several contemporary indigenous groups who use entheogens, most notably Native Americans of the southwest United States. Various tribes from California have been known to use strong alcoholic drinks as well as peyote to achieve visions and religious experiences.
During the Paleolithic, there is ample evidence of drug use as seen by preserved botanical remains and coprolites. Some scholars had suggested that the "Flower Burial" in Shanidar Cave, a Paleolithic site in Iraq, was evidence of a shamanic death ritual, but more recent evidence and analysis has contradicted that claim. The most direct evidence we have from the Paleolithic in terms of art comes from Tassili, Algeria cave paintings depicting "Psilocybe mairei" mushrooms dated 7000 to 9000 years before present. From this region, there are several therianthropic images portraying the painter and the animals around him as one (an often cited effect of many psychedelic drugs, Ego death or unity). One image, in particular, shows a man who has formed into one common form with a mushroom.
There are several Paleolithic sites that display therianthropic imagery. However, there is some debate as to whether or not sites like Lascaux or Chauvet were entheogenically inspired.
A cave painting in Spain has been interpreted as depicting "Psilocybe hispanica".
= = = Santa Anita Golf Course = = =
The Santa Anita Golf Course, located in the city of Arcadia, California, was operated by Santa Anita Associates for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation from 1986-2016. New operators will take over beginning September 2016.
The upon which the golf course was built has always been devoted to recreation in some form or another. The original architect was James Harrison Smith. Originally part of the "Lucky" Baldwin Ranch, Santa Anita's history dates back to the days when its broad oaks sheltered places where Indians camped. Across its broad acres traveled Mission Fathers from San Gabriel on their way up Little Santa Anita Canyon for lumber needed to build the Mission.
From 1907 through 1909 horse racing was a feature on Lucky Baldwin's famed track. The clubhouse turn was right where No. 16 is now and when you're on the hill on the backside of No. 14, that's the turn where the horses turned for home.
During World War I, Ross Field, Named after Lt. Cleo J. Ross of the U.S. Army Air Service, housed a United States Army balloon school. Ross was an observer with the 8th Balloon Company and was killed in action in France on September 26, 1918, the only U.S. Army balloonist to die in combat. The balloon school closed in the spring on 1919.
Anita Baldwin sold the land to the County of Los Angeles for $92,000 in 1918. A sand green golf course appeared following the closure of the school and Arcadia citizens took it over and operated it as a highly successful club.
In 1935, through an act of Congress, the United States Department of War deeded 185 acres to Los Angeles County with the provision that it be used as a park and recreation center. The redevelopment of Ross Field was a Works Progress Administration project that included not just the golf course but a swimming pool, tennis courts, two baseball fields, a children's playground, and a lawn bowling complex.
The Santa Anita Golf course opened in two stages. Nine holes were opened in April 1938 and the complete 18 opened on October 12, 1938.
1938 also saw the birth of the Santa Anita Open—held each year until 1955, in the middle of October, to celebrate the opening of the Golf Course and to start the official Winter Golf Tournament season in Southern California. Prize money that first year was $1,000. Frank Moninger personally underwrote the first two tournaments. The Santa Anita Golf Club with the help of a few individual golfers underwrote the next few events. The County donated the Golf Course for the Santa Anita Open. The Course Record established in the days of "The Open" is 62 - held by Ellsworth Vines. Lloyd Mangrum won the first and second Opens with 274 and 278. Par at that time was 70.
In the 1960s the 9th hole was altered to make way for the construction of a baseball field at Arcadia Park. The original tee box was re-positioned to the South West of its original location and the hole was lengthened and turned into a par 5 thus changing par at the course to 71. The original dog leg left configuration and chute of trees has been lost and the hole now plays due east and relatively straight. Additionally significant changes were made to the short 281 yard par 4 17th hole where the large expanse of sand on the left side (south) was replaced with grass. The hole retains its name from the time (Desert) but has lost much character and altered the strategic challenge of its original configuration. Other changes from the era include the removal of several bunkers on the Par 5 Third hole and the sandy waste area between the 10th and 18th holes.
As part of the change in management in 1986 commitments were made to increase secondary facilities (clubhouse and dining) as well as substantive changes to the course itself during 1990-1991. The first hole and the driving range were swapped for safety reasons as errant shots from the range threatened cars on Santa Anita Avenue. The original dog leg left 1st hole was shortened from 409 yards to the current 367 yards. The 18th Green was moved forward to make way for clubhouse construction but the total yardage remained the same as the tee box was lengthened.
During the 2000-2010 period small modifications were made to return a single bunker to the right of the 3rd hole (where the original design had three) and a large bunker in the center of the fairway of that same hole. Tee boxes on the 4th, 7th and 17th holes were modified. The detached tee boxes on 7th and 17th are seldom if ever used in open play though are occasionally used in tournament play.
The current record is held by Blake Moore of Monrovia, California who shot a 9 under par 62 on Sunday, July 20, 2003. Moore is attributed with the current record as mentioned above several holes have been changed since "The Open" era and the course is now a par 71 rather than the original par 70.
Scorecard for Santa Anita Golf Course circa 2010
= = = Čađavica, Bijeljina = = =
Čađavica (Cyrillic: Чађавица) is a name of three different subdivisions located west of the city of Bijeljina in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The three different subdivisions are Čađavica Donja, Čađavica Gornja, and Čađavica Srednja.
= = = Bossington = = =
Bossington may refer to:
= = = Zlatko Ćosić = = =
Zlatko Ćosić is a video artist born in Banja Luka, Yugoslavia. Ćosić’s work spans a number of disciplines, including short films, video installations, theater projections, and live audio-visual performances. His work relates to issues of identity, immigration, and the complexities of living in unfamiliar cultural environments. Ćosić’s artwork has been shown in over fifty countries, for which he has received a variety of recognition.
Since 1997, he lives and works in Saint Louis.
Ćosić has received grants and fellowships including the Regional Arts Commission Artist Fellowship and a Kranzberg Grant for a video installation at Laumeier Sculpture Park. His video "Horizons" has been an official selection at film festivals in the United States, Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, and Poland and was a prize winner at the 2010 St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, the 2010 Macon Film Festival, and the 2010 Sunscreen Film Festival. Ćosić's video "Elans" won the Pulitzer’s Film Competition in St. Louis and it was finalist at the Digital Graffiti festival in Florida. His video "Spaces" was screened in numerous film festivals in North America and Europe and won an award at the St. Louis International Film Festival. Ćosić's video Story 1: Scenes 1-9 won Best Experimental Film at the 2017 St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase. He collaborated with the "60x60 Project" creating 200 videos, which have been presented at the Spark Festival, TNA TV in France, EMM Festival, LOOP Videoart Festival, Printemps Musical d'Annecy, Kulturkiosken Gallery, Stimultania Art Gallery and at other venues in France, Spain, Sweden, Serbia and USA. Ćosić's solo exhibition "Still Adjusting" at Gallery 210 was reviewed in the June 2014 issue of "Art in America".
Ćosić's artwork has been exhibited at the Contemporary Art Museum, Kemper Art Museum, Regional Arts Commission, Gallery 210, Cecille R. Hunt Gallery, Sheldon Art Galleries, Des Lee Gallery, SOHA Gallery, Arcade Gallery, Bruno David Gallery and Laumeier Sculpture Park, all in St. Louis; UCM Gallery of Art & Design, Warrensburg, MO; Project 4 Gallery, Washington DC; Hunter Time Square Gallery, New York; Harold Golen Gallery, Miami; PUBLIC Gallery, Louisville; Kulturprojekte, Berlin; Kulturkiosken Gallery, Gävle, Sweden; Atelje 26, Students' City Cultural Center, Belgrade, Serbia; Pinnacles Gallery, Townsville, Australia; Academy of Fine Arts, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; JCIC Vilnius & Kedainiai Regional Museum, Lithuania; Patarei "The Battery" Prison, Tallinn, Estonia; Torrance Art Museum, Los Angeles; Stimultania Art Gallery, Strasbourg, France; HIEDRA Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina; and neo:gallery 23, Bolton, UK.
Ćosić's videos also have screened at The Pulitzer Foundation for Arts; Saint Louis Art Museum; Citygarden, St. Louis; USA Film Festival; Belgrade Alternative Film and Video Festival; Picture This Film Festival; Byron Bay International Film Festival; Herning International Short Film Festival; Festival Franco-Anglais De Poésie; Performance & Intermedia Festival, Poland; dokumentART Festival; Lightselect Teofilo, P4 Kuntshouse; PÖFF's Sleepwalkers Film Festival; Les Instants Vidéo Festival, Marseille; Torun Short Film Festival; CologneOFF: Latvia, Lebanon, Mexico and India; Atlanta Underground Film Festival; Vegas Independent Film Festival; Festival Internacional De Videoarte, Argentina; Espacio AVAart Gallery, Spain; Institut Für Alles Möglische, Berlin; XX.9.12 FABRIKArte, Venice; Zeta Gallery, Albania; East Art Gallery, Iran; Holdudvar Gallery, Hungary; Vizii Festival, National Historical and Architectural Museum, Ukraine; Crosstalk Video Art Festival, Hungary; VIDEOPLAY, Peras De Olmo - Ars Continua, Buenos Aires; Regional Museum of History of Colima, Mexico; Now&After, International Video Art Festival, Moscow Museum of Modern Art; The Format, Contemporary Culture Gallery, Italy; Greensboro Dance Film Festival; Dance Film Festival UK, London; Qorikancha Museum, Peru; Forever Now, Faux Mo, Australia; Dança em Foco, International Festival of Video and Dance, Brazil; Carnival of e-Creativity, India; La Casa Encendida, Spain; Octubre Centre de Cultura Contemporània, Spain; Palais de Glace, Argentina; Montana Film Festival; Lucca Film Festival, Italy; CINEMAMBIENTE, Italy; FIVAC, Cuba; Digital Image, Espacio Enter Canarias, Spain; Zentrum für Kunst und Medien Karlsruhe, Germany; Syracuse International Film and Media Festival, Italy; DesArts//DesCinés, Dance & Cinema Festival, France; Watch Out! Tetovo Film Festival, Macedonia; OtherMovie Lugano Film Festival, Switzerland; Artspace, Israel; Chaktomuk Short Film Festival, Cambodia; Viva Film Festival, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Addis Video Art Festival, Ethiopia; Quinzena de Dança de Almada, International Dance Festival, Portugal; Ţǎrii Crişurilor Museum, Romania; Sydney World Film Festival, Australia; STRANGLOSCOPE, Experimental Film, Audio & Performance Festival, Brazil; Noisefloor, Experimental Music and Moving Image Festival, UK; VIDEOMEDEJA, International Video Festival, Serbia; nodoCCS Video Art Festival, Venezuela; IBRIDA, Intermediate Arts Festival, Italy, and The Inaugural International Autonomous Biennale, The Research Pavilion, 57th Venice Biennale, Italy.
= = = Louise Germain = = =
Louise Germain (1874–1939), née Louise Richier was a French painter.
Although she was born in Gap, Hautes-Alpes, France, Louise Richier lived much of her childhood and adolescence in Algeria, returning to France by the time she was twenty. By 1894 she was studying in Marseille with the animal painter Walter Bildecombe.
She lived in Aix-en-Provence with her husband Eugene Germain and their two children, Émile and Sylvain.
At age 25, about 1899, she met Joseph Ravaisou and she took to painting. Reportedly, she also worked alongside Paul Cézanne, as did Ravaisou. In 1925, she watched over Joseph Ravaisou on his deathbed.
Germain died in her flat in Aix-en-Provence in 1939. She is buried in the Saint-Pierre cemetery in Aix-en-Provence.
= = = Squirrels (play) = = =
Squirrels is a one-act play by David Mamet.
The 1974 comedy is about Arthur, a middle-aged, egotistical hack writer who has been working on the opening line of a story involving a man's encounter with a squirrel for fifteen years, and Edmond, the young fledgling writer he has hired as a secretary/collaborator. They soon discover that Arthur's flamboyant redundancy clashes with Edmond's mediocre melodramatic style as they each develop increasingly ridiculous scenarios for the story. They are joined by Arthur's cleaning lady, also an aspiring writer, whose suggestions seem to be the most promising, but they too eventually bog down in banality.
In October 1974 Mamet directed the first production of the play at the St. Nicholas Theater Company in Chicago, Illinois. "Squirrels" was produced by the Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays, in January 1990, at the Harold Prince Theatre, Annenberg Center. The director was William H. Macy, who had performed in the Chicago production.
The British premiere was presented by The Mandrake Theatre Company at the Kings Head Theatre, London in 1993. Directed by Aaron Mullen. .