Night of January 16 Trivia Quiz

Answer: "Woman On Trial"

The popularity of this play became too overwhelming to consider changing its name to her preferred choice. However, the Ayn Rand absolutely did not like the name that has stuck with what became her first successful play.

Answer: Karen Andre

In the play, Karen Andre was long-time secretary to Bjorn Faulkner. They had a private relationship as well as their business relationship. Karen was kept in extravagant luxury by her employer/lover Bjorn Faulkner and she would do or say anything for his sake.

According to what the jury decides, Faulkner was either murdered and hurled off the penthouse roof of his own building OR he opted to take his own life by leaping off his building himself.

Answer: Nancy Lee Whitfield

Nancy Lee was accustomed to having the best of everything and her father made sure she had whatever she wanted. It is left to you to decide whether Nancy Lee and Bjorn did indeed have the enchanted relationship she describes in her testimony or whether there is more to the story.

Answer: bullet wound near the heart

Dr. Kirkland states that he found a bullet wound near the heart that could have been inflicted by a .32 caliber weapon. He also testifies that it was near impossible to determine the time of death due to the condition of the body.

Answer: night janitor at the Faulkner building

Mrs. John Joseph Hutchins is highly nervous during her testimony and relates how she worked for her husband whenever he didn't have "any gumption". She worked for her husband the night of January 16 and was an eye witness to some of the events surrounding Bjorn Faulkner's death.

Answer: private investigator

Homer Van Fleet was hired by Nancy Lee to follow her new husband. She states in her testimony that she was worried about her husband due to previous threats made by gangster Larry Regan.

Van Fleet testifies that he saw Karen Andre push Bjorn Faulkner off the roof, but there is some question about his reliability since he off-handedly admits to having had a few drinks that night.

Answer: Coney Island

Sweeney testifies that one of the first things he did upon arriving at the penthouse was to turn on the shower to check if what he had heard about Faulkner showering in wine was true. He also describes the penthouse as having a real lake with trees as big around as he could reach and sand just like at Coney Island.

In the time frame when the play is set, Coney Island was one of the premiere attractions in New York City.

Answer: housekeeper

Magda had been with the Faulkner family since Bjorn was a child. She had stayed on as housekeeper at the Faulkner building penthouse even after Bjorn married Nancy Lee and moved to Long Island. Karen Andre lived in the penthouse, supposedly alone, following Bjorn's marriage. Magda witnessed several things about Karen that she is more that glad to relate in court.

Answer: John Graham Whitfield

John Graham Whitfield prides himself on his control over his temper. However, during the trial he erupts with anger a few times at what he hears others testify. There is some doubt cast over his credibility and even some suspicion as to whether HE is the guilty party in the death of Bjorn Faulkner.

Notice: the incorrect answers are all US Presidents with Whitfield as a surname.

Answer: embezzlement

Mr. Jungquist is now a faithful employee of Mr. Faulkner. He had been working in a bank in Stockholm and had embezzled a sizable amount of money from that bank. Mr. Faulkner had Sigurd released from prison and had given him a job as bookkeeper. When Karen Andre was dismissed from her job as secretary, Mr. Jungquist was given that position. We hear Sigurd testify that he would do anything, even lie, for Bjorn Faulkner.

Answer: Larry Regan

Lawrence "Larry" Regan is quite the character. He infers or insinuates that he may have been involved in several other crimes, but he isn't admitting to much other than he loved Karen Andre. While his love was not returned, he still agreed to become a part of the elaborate hoax surrounding Bjorn Faulkner's death.

Lefty O'Toole is a character mentioned, but not seen in the play. "No Nose" Krakowski is a name I made up. Angelo "Snaps" Provolone is the character played by Sylvester Stallone in the movie "Oscar".

Answer: Queensboro bridge

According to the testimony of his widow, Lefty was 'put on the spot on the Queensboro bridge'. Larry Regan apparently had financial interest in Lefty's nightclub.

The 59th St. bridge, or Queensboro bridge, spans the East River and connects Manhattan to Queens. Manhattan and Queens are boroughs, or independent sections, of New York City.

Answer: terpsichorean (dancer)

Ruby/Roberta was witness to conversations between her husband and Larry Regan leading her to believe that Regan was the one who murdered her husband the night of January 16. The assumption is that Regan murdered O'Toole to use his body in the plot to fake Bjorn Faulkner's death. O'Toole's body may or may not have been the one hurled off the penthouse roof.

A terpsichorean is a fancy name for a dancer.

Answer: Buenos Aires

The stolen millions were transferred to a bank in Buenos Aires. Faulkner and Regan were to go there, collect the money and meet up with Karen Andre in a month. The swindle would then be complete. However, the plot thickened and the plan went awry ending up with Bjorn's real death.

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero are in Brazil and Caracas is in Venezuela.

Answer: Russia

Born as Alisa Zinov in St. Petersburg, Russia, Ayn Rand moved to America in 1926. She worked in Hollywood on many projects and made many contacts. Then, in 1943 she became known as an author when her dramatic work, 'The Fountainhead', was published. Ayn Rand enjoyed a long career filled with numerous successes. She died in 1982 and is still recognized as one of the leading academic philosophers of her time.

If you have an opportunity to see this play performed, it is well worth your time. At the time of my authoring this quiz (March 2009), I am in the cast of this play at a community theater where I live. I am thoroughly enjoying the production and I hope you enjoyed this quiz. Thanks for....ummm...dropping by. (no pun intended)