BKMT READING GUIDES
Butcher of Dreams
by Kay Williams, Eileen Wyman
Paperback : 416 pages
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Introduction
Lee Fairchild has realized every actor's dream-a theater of her own. The dream is about to turn into a nightmare. Who-or what-lives on the third floor? The theater was an abandoned burlesque house where the homeless lived-until Lee and her staff scrub it out. It doesn't matter, she tells herself, that the theater sits in Hell's Kitchen on the seedy fringes of Times Square, that it's under-budgeted and understaffed and that she (as Administrative Director) will play only one role this first season. It's an Equity theater, offering five plays in repertory. Times Square redevelopment makes the property desirable. With her husband recently dead and her daughter away at college, Lee falls into a passion¬ate affair with a younger man. Bizarre, seemingly unrelated events-beginning with a homeless man found dead on the third floor of the theater-escalate to ritual murder. Qualities that make her a good actress-imagination, empathy-pull her through the looking glass into a nightmare world, to the brink of death. Over all hovers a Mexican mask, stolen from the tomb at Monte Alban, its eyes glittering with secrets of the ancient Aztecs and sacrifice. The characters are drawn from the authors' years of experience in theater and film: Alan Dunbar, Lee's brilliant but erratic artistic director, with mysterious gaps in his resume; Ernst Kromer, guest director from Europe, tyrannical, rigid and uncooperative; Michael Day, Lee's sexy and mysterious assistant; wraithlike Fleur Mahoney, whose first role is a dead girl-and she almost is; Barry Blackwell, talented actor, compulsive practical joker; Harry O'Brien, company stage manager, who'd kill for a role. Characters from the "real" world include Alan's lover, Walter Kaplan, eccentric psychiatrist and medical anthropolo¬gist; Heather, Lee's 18-year-old daughter, who has a surprising secret life; pock-marked, cynical NYPD Detective Mordecai Green, who moonlights as an actor. Kay Williams is a writer and actress, with years of experience in theater and film. Eileen Wyman, writer and editor, has a background in radio/television. Both live in New York City in Hell's Kitchen. Advance praise for Butcher of Dreams: "Smart, tough, talented, sensitive Lee Fairchild is just the kind of woman who can successfully manage and act in her own off-Broadway theatre. She can cope with the seedy streets of New York in the 1980's, and can juggle the many needs of her gifted but tormented co-workers with the vision of great shows. But Lee is emotionally vulnerable because of her husband's recent death, and when a ritually mutilated body is found in her theatre she must fight her way through a bewildering mesh of loves, fears, egos, myths, and blood to discover the truth that will save her theatre and herself. Full of authentic gritty detail about off-Broadway in the 1980's, Butcher of Dreams will keep readers turning pages." P.M. Carlson, author of CROSSFIRE "Butcher of Dreams is original, creative, and suspenseful. The ending made me breathless and I stayed up until 3 am finishing the dramatic last third of the novel! However, it is quite amusing in places as well, creating comic relief. One of the talents of the authors is to cast suspicion on almost all the players. The insight one gains into the mind and motivations of a psychopath and the descriptions of the occult are truly captivating and gripping, a reflection of excellent research. Butcher of Dreams is so much more than mystery. With its original metaphors, similes and lyrical descriptions, it is an enthralling and creative novel. I loved it!" Mara Stark, retired teacher of Advanced Placement Composition
Excerpt
He saw it gleaming, white, like snow. His hand trembled as he reached for it. A fist struck his outstretched arm. He fell to one knee, his arms above his head. Hands pushed him down. Heavy shoes kicked him in the stomach, the head. He curled into a circle of pain. ...
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Discussion Questions
From the author:1. What characteristics make Lee Fairchild a sympathetic heroine? What life experiences & choices have added to her vulnerability?
2. Lee faces several conflicts as she strives to create the repertory theater of her dreams. Personally, what is she trying to overcome? What worries does she have about the success of the theater as the season—and the book—begin? As the novel reaches crisis, her personal conflicts within herself and with those around her gradually mount, as well as her professional concerns in her role as executive officer of the theater. What random & disturbing events threaten the success of the theater? Discuss the growing personal conflicts she’s experiencing. Do these personal concerns interfere with what she’s hoping to accomplish with her repertory theater?
3. Many of the characters in Butcher of Dreams are unique. They exhibit personality quirks that may pique suspicion and distrust in the mind of the reader. Consider these characters: Ernst Kromer; Alan Dunbar; Barry Blackwell; Fleur Mahoney; Samantha Read; Michael Day, and Eric Mallory. What distinguishes each of these characters? Can you cite specific behaviors or personality quirks that aroused your suspicion or dislike? How do their actions affect Lee?
4. Did you find the setting of Butcher of Dreams interesting? Authentic? The mix of New York off-Broadway theater types with the denizens of Hell’s Kitchen created an erratic and threatening mood. What are some of the strange happenings and frightening events that threaten the success of the theater? Who seems most suspicious as the bizarre events and violence start to occur? As these events begin to threaten Lee personally, are your early suspicions confirmed or negated?
5. The suggestion of the occult and belief in the supernatural are intertwined with the action and the characters of the story: Lee’s Aztec mask with the curse connected to it, the murders on the third floor, Walter’s interest and research about Nagualism, the Cult of the Animal Protector. This focus intensifies as the action evolves. What additional “clues” suggest that an occult presence is involved?
6. Even minor characters add to plot development and increase tension at times. Consider the street bum, Eric, Carl, Harry, Walter. How do these characters complicate, cloud, or enhance the plot?
7. The sociopathic, psychopathic personality plays a role in the novel’s action. Several characters display borderline characteristics that might make them a suspect. Who are these characters? What traits did you recognize as dangerous? Drugs also play a role in erratic behavior. What suspects seem to have an affinity for drug use?
8. The “bohemian” lifestyle often lived by artistic individuals is suggested through the characters in Butcher of Dreams. Did these alternate lifestyles concern or disturb you? Consider Alan and Walter, Heather and Amelia, Samantha and Barry, Lee and Michael.
9. Consider Lee’s relationships with her co-workers (Alan, Barry, Fleur, Harry, Kromer, Samantha., etc.); her “investor” Damon Collyer; Detective Green; Walter; Michael? Would you consider her effective in her dealings with these people?
10. How would you evaluate Lee as a parent? Is she a good mother? Does she have a healthy relationship with her daughter?
11. To discover that Detective Green is an aspiring actor seems an almost-tongue-in cheek comment about the New York mentality. Do you know any want-to-be artists who are striving to “make it” in New York while keeping “body and soul” together through other employment? What other characters desire a more active involvement in the theater world? Do you think that Detective Green takes a personal interest in the strange happenings surrounding the 42nd Street Repertory Theater? If so, what motivates this interest? Do you think the motivation changes as the novel progresses?
12. Did you enjoy the novel? What part was most interesting? What characters did you find most sympathetic at first? How did these feelings change as the novel progressed? Consider Lee, Michael, Alan, Kromer—and any others that seem to stand out.
13. Were you satisfied with the ending? Why or why not? At the close of the book, what future do you predict for Lee?
Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
A note from Kay and Eileen for book clubs: The idea for this book came after we moved into Manhattan Plaza, a housing complex for performing artists in Hell’s Kitchen. The neighborhood was crime-ridden. Live nude shows, erotic bookstores, x-rated movies were just a block away from our apartment complex. Crack cocaine was sold by dealers in the streets. Prostitutes blatantly solicited. In the mid-eighties, 42nd St. between 7th and 8th Avenues was considered one of the worst blocks in the city for crime. By the time we finished the book, the Disney Corporation had renovated the Amsterdam Theater, moved in The Lion King and Hell’s Kitchen was well on its way to being gentrified. Now our area is one of the safest, cleanest neighborhoods in New York City. Butcher of Dreams is based on our experiences working in off-Broadway and regional repertory theaters around the country. The events are fictional, the theater is fictional, and the characters are fictional. The story takes place in 1985 and 1986—in Hell’s Kitchen as it was then.Book Club Recommendations
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