Sentence:  There <WSD>were</WSD> several fairly good minor portraits in the play , including William Hansen 's impersonation of a stubborn , rather pathetic father , and Katherine Squire 's vigorous characterization of a farm mother who brooked no hifalutin ' nonsense from her daughter , or anyone else . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  happen, occur, take place; this was during the visit to my parents' house"