recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Isobel Chapman

Isobel is a teacher in the Theater Department.

She is discovered by Mira Sydney while taking part in a summer stock production of Maltby and Shire's "Closer Than Ever." When Jillian Jordan takes a job on a cruise ship, there is a vacancy in the theater department and Mira believes the young woman would be perfect for the position.

Isobel ends up being quite a lot like Mira in a number of ways, especially when it comes to bringing the creative talents of a student base known mostly for performing the work of others to light. In her time at Winter Lake Academy for the Arts, she oversees a student-written play project, an ensemble creation piece about Boston law enforcement, and a night of completely improvised musical theater.

She is the twin sister of science teacher Isaiah Chapman.
NO, SERIOUSLY, LET IT GO

"No, Seriously, Let It Go" is the twelfth episode of Season 8.

## Synopsis

Marley's middle school gets the rights to a stage production of "Frozen" and Bonnie is seriously determined to turn her daughter into the first black Elsa. While Marley's school is supportive and JJ is already figuring out a way to create costumes for the project, Colin and Violet dread the casting announcement, having "Frozen"-related PTSD after raising four (then-)preteen girls at the height of the first Elsamania. The Culinary Arts department decides to embrace Marissa's heritage (or half of it, at least) and announces Mexican food as the spring semester's focus. While the students are delighted that they will no longer have to sneak off campus for third-rate fast-food burritos or brave the not-even-close-to-authentic "Taco Tuesdays" in The Academy's cafeteria, the educators wonder if the close quarters of the Haven Farm kitchen combined with the growing ranks (thanks to a few new mid-year kids) and the fiber-related "colonic musicality" of the cuisine are a recipe for disaster.
Winter Lake Academy for the Arts

Winter Lake Academy for the Arts is an independent boarding school for the arts located in Winter Lake, Massachusetts. Located 20 miles from Boston proper, Winter Lake (referred to by its students as "The Academy") currently serves students from 40 states and 20 different countries.

## History and Programs

Founded in 1925, Winter Lake Academy was founded as the Winter Lake School for the Advancement of Exceptional Women. Though arts were always of utmost importance at Winter Lake, the school did not become a conservatory-style program until 1960 and was not coeducational until 1965.

## High School Curriculum

In addition to a rigorous college-preparatory academic curriculum, students choose one of six arts in which to "major." Options include theater, dance, creative writing, visual arts, music, and culinary arts (a new major as of the 2015-2016 school year).
HOO-HA-LELE

"Hoo-ha-lele" is the fourth episode of Season 9.

## Synopsis

With Roger still missing, the Winter Lake community searches for answers. A search of his property and interviews with those closest to him indicate nothing showing his disappearance was anything but accidental, but that doesn't stop the student body from (inappropriately) speculating. A bored Robert offers to cover one of Roger's classes via his robot avatar, but he finds himself fighting with The Academy's other math teachers for the position. Despite Leo and Maya's reservations, Carole continues to push the interdisciplinary collaboration angle and presents a number of hand-crafted instruments shaped like the female anatomy for the pit band to use, including her own invention: the "hoo-ha-lele." Meanwhile, Cliff deals with the onslaught of panicked seniors begging him for application advice.
LUCKY RABBI'S FOOT

"Lucky Rabbi's Foot" is the second episode of Season 3.

## Synopsis

With just two weeks before school comes back into session and a bare-bones Culinary Arts department, the administration at The Academy is still working their tails off to staff the new program. Just as Vera (whose culinary education consists of some Sur La Table cooking classes she half-assed in the weeks before her wedding) is about to fill in, hope comes in the form of Esther Shapiro, a local woman looking to pay the bills after a tragedy hit her family. In an attempt to show Mrs. Shapiro and her husband Rabbi Steve the same kind of hospitality that was shown to them upon their arrival at The Academy two years prior, Vera and Harry plan a special event to welcome them to the community, but it backfires when the presence of a certain guest makes Esther uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Leo and Maya help Jenna with a yard sale, where Tracy Chang makes Leo an offer he can't refuse.
HOW TO SUCCEED IN SNEAKING OUT OF YOUR BOSS'S SHOW WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

"How To Succeed In Sneaking Out Of Your Boss's Show Without Really Trying" is the seventh episode of Season 8.

## Synopsis

After promising to attend (and monitor a talkback on) Colin's opening night, Leo and Maya sneak out, children in tow, to attend Annie's kindergarten talent show. After doing a sanitized, one-five-year-old-version of "Cell Block Tango," the precocious tot is noticed by commercial talent scout Stephanie Zimmerman and is shuttled off to Boston to shoot a spot for a new line of children's fruit drinks. The one problem? Annie arrives on set, discovers she loathes the products, uses her newly discovered acting talent to fake a seizure to get out of drinking more, and holds up production for hours. After The Academy is accused of being too "closed off" to the real world, Vera asks Isobel to create a winter show based on the pressing issues of the time. With a large international community among the boarders, Isobel fears that a conflict narrative will hit too close to home for many of her students and decides to focus the project more locally. Meanwhile, Roger attempts to start a chapter of mathletes at The Academy and comes under fire from the school board for calling his team "Mathamphetamines."
SOMMERS END

"Sommers End" is the second episode of Season 8.

## Synopsis

A mysterious guest appears at Vera and Harry's doorstep. Referring to herself only as Eve, the woman explains that she is a former member of the religious sect to which the Sommers Seven belong, she is about to become a multi-millionaire from the cash advance for her exposé on the cult, and she wants to bail them all out and spirit them away to safety. While Vera has her doubts, the Shermans beg Eve to take the family off their hands after Epiphany Sommers nearly kills Zithromax while attempting to faith-heal his peanut allergy. After Julie's little adventure, Colin and Violet decide to transfer her to The Academy for her junior and senior year to keep a closer eye on her. Meanwhile, Leo and Maya continue to search for a more permanent childcare option as Daniel finalizes a musical theater composition curriculum with Mira, while Marissa, Athena and Esther decide the semester's curriculum: soup.
BEYOND THE HEADLIGHTS, THE ROAD LOOKS SHORT...

"Beyond the Headlights, The Road Looks Short..." is the twenty-third episode of Season 9, and the first part of a 2 part series finale.

## Synopsis

Victoria confesses to the theft (or rather, "unauthorized borrowing") of the school van. While initially Vera is disappointed, Victoria's beautiful photographic documentation of the happy occasion impresses her from an artistic standpoint and warms her heart. In an attempt to keep a closer eye on Victoria and bring her back to the world of the art she so loved, Vera offers her a position as a head teacher in the Community Dance Academy.  Athena announces plans to close her mother's Boston restaurant and rebuild Wonderwall Bakery's Winter Lake branch in its original location with a loan from Maya, securing a permanent home for the Culinary Arts Department. Meanwhile, Helen MacLellan arrives back in Winter Lake shortly before the fifteen-year anniversary of her departure, and crashes graduation with a heartfelt but certainly cognac-influenced speech for the class of 2022, while several hours later, Ellen gives an equally heartfelt but certainly Adderall-influenced acceptance speech for her Tony award.
Michelle Hall

Michelle Hall is a poetry teacher and the first poet laureate of Massachusetts. Despite her profession and her title, she secretly prefers fiction and (at the beginning of the series) is waiting for Winter Lake's 85-year-old fiction teacher Mr. Emerson to drop dead so she can apply for the position.

In the meantime, she lives a half-mile from campus and moderates a book club on Sundays, because she misses people getting together and talking about a book but church leaves a bad taste in her mouth. At present, the book group is exclusively female except for Harry, who hosts because he's got the biggest living room and enough dogs for each member to cuddle. She has been at The Academy since 2008 and has been trying to convince Bonnie to use her family money to establish an internet radio station at Winter Lake. Part of this is to expose the brilliance of the theater, music and creative writing students at Winter Lake to a bigger audience, and part of it is because her sense of humor is equally as raunchy as her best friend's and she wants to start a radio show called "Blame It on the Alco-Hall."

Michelle was AMAB (assigned male at birth) and began her transition at age 18.
ECHO OF THE BOOM

"Echo of the Boom" is the sixth episode of Season 5.

## Synopsis

Michelle is asked by BAGLY to speak to a group of trans youth in inner-city Boston. While her suggestion to invite Betsy Newbolde, the lead in Colin's "Macbeth," to sit in on the meeting is well received by Jonathan, Colin and Betsy herself, the youth bristle at the thought of being "research material." Violet seeks Marissa's assistance in dealing with a student who considers himself a "mad scientist." When Talia's second bid to stage a "Game of Thrones"-themed Nutcracker is again rejected by the school board, she finds an unlikely source of support in Harry, who has turned to ranting about the HBO series on his Tumblr as a source of catharsis after Julianne's death. Meanwhile, in an attempt to boost their social lives, Paul and Tracy throw a blowout Halloween baby shower for Esther and Maya complete with faculty-provided entertainment, only to realize halfway through one of the performances that Emily has no idea her father is an exotic dancer.
TUMBLEWEAVE

"Tumbleweave" is the nineteenth episode of Season 8.

## Synopsis

Tensions flare between the music department and the theater department during the run of Bonnie's opera "Mio padre era coperto di api, e anche io sono coperto di api!" when after each performance the stage (currently being unused by the theater department, as "Julia!" will be performed outdoors) is left immaculate but the dressing rooms and hallways look like a war zone. The last straw is when the governor of Massachusetts, planning to honor Isobel for her sensitive yet intense look at the lives of Boston law enforcement, tours the theater facility and nearly breaks his neck tripping on a loose hair extension belonging to the opera's female lead. Cliff ponders starting a family after a visit to the emergency room (for a student having an allergic reaction to the dorm's bedbug treatment) proves a bonding experience for him and one of his young charges and he asks Axl and Carl for advice. Meanwhile, as one of the few faculty members to actually remember the 1980s, Mira teaches a weekend workshop on hairspray, crimping and side ponytails for the cast of "Julia!" and nearly sets fire to the black box.
Dave Rufio

David "Dave" Rufio is a history teacher at Winter Lake Academy for the Arts.

He teaches 11th and 12th grade history, concentrating on events of the 20th and 21st century.

He fancies himself quite the activist and is constantly pressuring his students to make their voices heard in the local community and on a national and global scale.

While Dave is well-versed in protest tactics, some of his students are not and occasionally they get arrested during tech week of their shows. Whoops.
HIGH BYE BIRDIE

"High Bye Birdie" is the twenty-first episode of Season 5.

## Synopsis

In an attempt to teach the students about the importance of recycling, the prom committee decides to repurpose the glitzy set pieces from the fall musical for a wild Las Vegas-themed dance under the stars. The Culinary Arts Department offers to cater the event under the condition that the volunteer students, including underclassmen, gain free entry. The students win their classmates over with expertly-prepared from scratch appetizers, salads and sandwiches and all seems to be going to plan until Marissa calls from Haven Farm, her freshman students in tears as a dry-ice explosion foils their plans to deliver frozen cheesecake bites on a stick to the student body before the night's entertainment takes the stage. While the faculty attempts to stall for time and Michelle offers to make a Costco run with Paul and Tracy to pick up some alternate dessert options, Hannah attempts to save the day with her own homemade baked goods...emphasis on the "baked." Meanwhile, Robert and Jillian help Violet and Colin chaperone the zoo birthday party, toucan in tow, and decide that The Academy's unofficial mascot might be better off with someone who knows what he's doing.
DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK

"Don't Call It A Comeback" is the eleventh episode of Season 3.

## Synopsis

Intent on avoiding the previous year's Christmas awkwardness, Talia and Jenna decide to spend Christmas in New York. When Treble pulls the "we want different things in life" card, a devastated Cliff takes off for the city to rebound with Heath (now on assignment in Manhattan) only to find "there's no room at the inn" since Heath's entertaining his entire family in his sublet and his family doesn't know about Cliff. Not particularly wanting to turn around and go home, Cliff crashes with Talia which throws a wrench in the romantic weekend she had planned for Jenna and herself. When Maya and Leo are asked to perform in New York at a benefit for the ailing child of a former costar, Jillian tags along under the guise of "trusted babysitter" but seems more interested in the foreign tourists who think she's really Liza Minnelli (despite being about thirty-five years younger than Ms. Minnelli and looking not a thing like her) than caring for the infant. Meanwhile, Roger searches for jobs.
BACK IN THE HABIT

"Back In The Habit" is the second episode of Season 5.

## Synopsis

After two years "clean" from sleep-medication-fueled online shopping, Michelle relapses when the September issues of her favorite magazines show up on her doorstep and set her subconscious on fire. While she attempts to justify her purchases by claiming she needs to reinvent herself for the dating scene, Bonnie is quick to bring her down to earth by reminding Michelle that she needs to save money for their upcoming trip to Vegas. In an attempt to smooth things over with Kathleen, Vera travels to California under the guise of attending a West Coast Winter Lake Academy alumni event. On the flight over, she meets Melanie Robbins, an educator who works with profoundly disabled students in the New Hampshire public school system to document their lives through photography. Aware of the challenge Bailey Caldwell now faces due to the acquisition of Cookie, Vera is determined to track the rising junior down and convince her to switch majors with the promise of private instruction and transport to whatever location at which the young woman chooses to shoot. Meanwhile, Jonathan announces that the fall musical will again be under Leo and Maya's command while Jillian and Mira will co-direct the winter children's show.
INDECENT PORPOISAL

"Indecent Porpoisal" is the twenty-first episode of Season 4.

## Synopsis

With Winter Lake finally able to afford to have prom on the Odyssey again, the students and faculty are eager and excited to return to tradition. However, a "current events" assignment in the senior 20th/21st Century History class awakens Victoria to the presence of a pod of porpoises that has been decimated by reckless cruise ship captains. Despite being prom-crazy in the past, she decides to boycott the dance since it's too late to change the venue. When Hassan joins her cause, protesting down on the docks instead of dropping it like it's hot on the deck of the boat, she wonders if he's committed to the cause or if he has ulterior 18-year-old-boy motives. Meanwhile, Vera discusses Bailey's future at Winter Lake with her advisor, gossip about Leo and Maya gets out and they drive themselves up a wall looking for the source, and Mira kills it on the dance floor.
E-I-E-I-OY

"E-I-E-I-OY" is the first episode of Season 5.

## Synopsis

Word gets out about Athena's flawless meringues and while the news manages to bring Alice back to The States, it also brings unwanted attention in the form of a scathing letter to the school board, allegedly from a disgruntled parent, decrying the inaugural Culinary Arts Track pastry year as "contributing to the physical decay of the student body." While Vera and her "scandler" Donna, through the power of handwriting analysis, quickly discover it's nothing but Kathleen stirring up trouble, they meet with the Culinary Arts track faculty to solidify a new lesson plan, eventually settling on a cheesemaking unit at nearby hipster-run Haven Farm. When the summer weather proves to be glorious, Talia gets special permission to teach her modern dance classes on The Academy's brand new outdoor stage. All is well until a small tornado hits the town of Winter Lake, bypassing the school completely but pulling up a fence at the Stickitt Inn, which results in an interruption of rehearsal by a pack of extremely agitated chickens looking for shelter. Meanwhile, Victoria, previously secure in her choice to join the Austin Ballet instead of attending college, is torn when she gets a better offer closer to home.
NES GADOL HAYA PO

"Nes Gadol Haya Po" is the tenth episode of Season 8.

## Synopsis

With the general audience expecting the traditional Nutcracker or at least a ballet based on a Christmas movie, early ticket sales for the Hannukah ballet are low and again Talia has the school board breathing down her back. Desperate to recoup the cost of the giant exploding glitter dreidel that opens the second act, Talia gets in the holiday spirit by doing kind favors for others in hope that karma points will reward her with at least one sold-out show. While the victory is less about karma and more about the free latkes Esther is throwing in, the much-hoped-for single sold out show becomes eight, with the one remaining being the night of a projected superstorm. Later, the faculty celebrates the end of the fall semester with a raucous party involving a rap battle between Paul and Harry, a breakdancing Esther, a wasted Holly and Violet having a loud and filthy conversation entirely in Klingon, and a "tequilafied" Daniel crank-calling Patti LuPone.
THE AGE OF SHAQUARIUS

"The Age of Shaquarius" is the twenty-second episode of Season 6.

## Synopsis

Piano prodigy Shaquarius Bentley is talented enough to go to Juilliard and bright enough to skip three grades. The young boy wants to skip four more and head straight to the prestigious music school, but his parents want him to have the traditional high school experience and attempt to enroll him at Winter Lake Academy for the fall. The problem? He's ten, and while Vera and the rest of the administration would be delighted to see him matriculate at The Academy, they worry that he is not emotionally ready for the boarding experience. Jillian manages to snag the cruise ship job away from Maya and Leo, and with Vera busy dealing with "the Shaquarius problem," it falls on Leo and Maya to help find Jillian's (temporary) replacement while Michelle helps find someone to cover Robert's duties. Meanwhile, the after-party for the world premiere of "Jewperheroes" is ruined when all the hors-d'oeuvres are devoured before the guests arrive by the pregnant Jenna, the PMSing Athena, the high-on-pills-again Roger, the stoned Hannah and several of Harry's pugs.
Paul Chang

Paul Chang is a French teacher at Winter Lake Academy for the Arts. Initially employed at a local charter school as a math teacher, his place of employment was shuttered shortly before the series takes place. When his severance pay gets cut off, his daughter Emily's position in the Community Dance Program is threatened.

When The Academy must quickly replace Roger Butts after he goes ballistic during a thunderstorm, it's Paul to the rescue and he quickly becomes a valued part of the academic faculty. However, despite his great skill, he has a deep and dark secret: he hates math. When Roger returns, Paul vies for a spot teaching his real passion: the French language.

He spent a good number of years as part of "Surprise Package," and is married to the school nurse, Tracy Chang.
FAMILY BUSINESS

"Family Business" is the first episode of Season 6.

## Synopsis

After Bonnie asks for time apart to work through her feelings for both Jonathan and Jerry, Jonathan decides to take a road trip across the country, Fifi in tow as mediator, to try to reach Calliope despite Vera's decision not to elect her commencement speaker. Athena worries that the relative youth of the Culinary Arts faculty works to their disadvantage and attempts to lure her mother to The Academy. Talia moves in with Jenna and they decide on an October wedding. Upon relaying the news to their families, they are immediately badgered about grandchildren. A cursory survey of potential sperm donors reveals a secret about Rocky. Meanwhile, Vera seeks Violet and Maya's assistance regarding the dormitory placement of the Sommers Seven, but it is Esther that provides the solution, while Colin discovers some of Violet's old poetry and encourages her to talk to Michelle about writing.
Carey Liles

Carey Liles is a four-time Razzie award nominee responsible for ruining Victoria Fry's favorite TV show "We Sing About Things." He is married to former child star Kayla Kinney.

He was slated to play the "Robert" character in the "Arts of Seduction" film despite being the wrong age and race (Carey is part-Asian, Robert is full-blooded Native American). He keeps in touch with director Frank Bellamy and later lands the role of Heath in Frank's film about the Becca Alvarez rescue "Duck Me In The Park," despite looking nothing like Heath. In order to prepare for the role, Carey tags along with Heath at work to learn the ins-and-outs of being a reporter. While initially Heath finds Carey's presence fun and exciting, he is soon horrified to learn that Carey has a large number of seriously disturbed fans on the internet who are convinced that the "star" and the "star reporter" are a legitimate couple.

The frenzy seems to die down after Carey makes an insensitive remark at a dinner party and is removed from the project.
Ella Davis

Ella Davis is a theater student in the class of 2021.

She is the temperamental and demanding star of Colin and Daniel's musical "Julia!" and cuts most of her classes to obsessively rehearse her dialogue and musical numbers on the main stage of the theater despite the production being staged in the outdoor theater.

She is the Queen Bee of the theater department, and it becomes a huge problem when dozens of other students under her sway are convinced to cut classes as well.

Ultimately, however, it is the faculty who ends up with egg on their faces when poor weather forces most of the run indoors and Ella is the only one who is fully used to blocking the show in the makeshift space.
Becca Alvarez

Becca Alvarez is a Spanish teacher who joins the faculty in 2019. She is lively, enthusiastic and beloved by her students. Unfortunately, very shortly into her tenure at The Academy, she is attacked by large waterfowl and is unable to live the experience down, especially after desperate producer Frank Bellamy insists on turning the event into a film.
Vera Sharma

Vera Sharma, a graduate of Winter Lake's visual arts program (class of 2000), is an award-winning photographer who got her big break as a freshman at NYU covering the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show for Time Out New York. Upon graduation, she was snapped up by the New Yorker and given behind the scenes access to the event.

During her first Westminster as a photographer for the New Yorker, she met a young pug breeder/owner/handler named Harry Gupta. Enamored with his quick wit and his large number of snorty dogs, she embarked on a whirlwind romance with him and they eloped less than three months later. Their families were shocked and horrified until it was revealed that Vera and Harry's great-grandmothers were apparently besties back in India.

Vera's mentor, now retired from teaching, is a member of the Winter Lake board of trustees and recommended Vera for the position of Head of School after a string of inept interim directors nearly ran the school into the ground following the 2007 departure of Helen MacLellan. The board had no objections and the happily childfree Vera, Harry and their eight pugs headed off to the suburbs of Massachusetts in the summer of 2013 to run The Academy.
The Sommers Seven

The Sommers Seven are one third of the children from the hit reality series "21 Kids, Two Uterine Prolapses and No Sign From God Telling Us To Stop."

They have escaped their family and their cult-like sect of Christianity to seek proper education and an outlet for their endless hours of violin practice.

When dormitory living is deemed too stressful for Epiphany, Chastity, Charity, Heavenleigh, Hallie-Lulah, Jesus-Anne and Obediah, it is decided that they will live with a local family. The Sherman Family of Haven Farm agrees to take them in, as their farm-based living and large number of children are familiar to the Sommers Seven, but it is a difficult task, between Obediah accidentally getting Antigone Sherman pregnant in an attempt to prove his heterosexuality and Epiphany nearly killing Zithromax Sherman in an attempt to faith-heal his Type 1 Diabetes.
GIVE 'EM THE OLD VAGAZZLE-DAZZLE

"Give 'Em The Old Vagazzle-Dazzle" is the twentieth episode of Season 5.

## Synopsis

As the school year begins to draw to a close, Vera believes she has chosen the perfect commencement speaker, TV legend Calliope Witherspoon. A former student of The Academy forced to abandon her role as Hope Harcourt in her senior year production of "Anything Goes" for health reasons, Ms. Witherspoon nonetheless ditched Winter Lake for Hollywood upon graduation and enjoyed great success on the small screen, receiving no fewer than ten Daytime Emmy nominations for her role as Sharon Bohner, the ex-sister-wife-turned-hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold, on the hit soap "Holy Garments." When Hannah and Rocky discover that junior theater major Fifi Gilman is Calliope's granddaughter, they seek her out only to have Fifi reveal that not only has her grandmother left the hit show, she is now devoting most of her time to hawking Hollywood-themed DIY pubic bedazzling kits on the Home Shopping Network. Jonathan learns that Maury Povich will be giving a series of talks in Japan at the time of the musical and thus will not be in attendance, so he throws himself whole-heartedly into staging a comeback for Calliope to prove himself in the wake of his marital strife. Meanwhile, when Robert notices that money is going out of Victoria's bank account but none is coming in, he and Jillian make an unannounced visit to her apartment only to discover that she has moved in with her mother after suffering a career-ending Achilles tear at the age of 19.
HARRY POZNER AND THE GIANT EFFING OWL LIVING IN HIS CLOSET

"Harry Pozner and the Giant Effing Owl Living In His Closet" is the twentieth episode of Season 2.

## Synopsis

When Robert puts a sign on his classroom door saying "SAFE SPACE" he expects a few kids to express worries about their future, a few kids to vent about their families, a few kids to come out of the closet and a few kids to just abuse the free fun-size candy bars he keeps on his desk. He does not expect one of his freshman students to pull up his pant leg and reveal an animal bite. His dorm parents report the boy's perfect attendance and prompt curfew check-ins and do not mention any remarkable findings from his room inspections, but Robert is suspicious. When the boy and his roommate consent to The Academy installing security cameras in and around their room, the culprit is discovered to be an owl that nests inside his old tuba case. Violet makes the mistake of telling her eldest child, who tells her entire class that her mom works at Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Jonathan completes his move into Bonnie's apartment and they clash when he wants to turn her study into a storage room for Broadway memorabilia.
Chip Carroll

Chip Carroll is a member of the Winter Lake Academy for the Arts class of 2005.

Best known at The Academy for playing Roger in his sophomore year spring production of RENT, Chip went on to work in adult film immediately after graduation. In his early twenties, he was heard singing in his trailer on the set of "This Ain't Wuthering Heights: An XXX Classic" and a visiting producer decided to recruit him into what he believed would be the future of pornography, musical theater or both.

Now a trailblazer in the field of X-Rated Musical Theater, Chip's credits include the role of Bony in the musical "Backside Story," Henry Humpins in a national tour of "My Fair Labia," and originating the role of Short-and-Curly McLayin' in "Oklaboner!"
Melanie Robbins

Melanie Robbins is a photography instructor who goes around schools in New Hampshire and works on art projects with people who have severe disabilities. Vera meets her on a plane, and the discussion they have leads Vera to wonder if Bailey Caldwell might be more comfortable in a field of study that is not so hostile to her service dog, Cookie.
PEOPLE WHO READ 'PEOPLE'

"People Who Read 'People'" is the twentieth episode of Season 1.

## Synopsis

Having been hired by PEOPLE Magazine as their Boston correspondent, Heath offers to do a profile on Vera's award-winning photography work and new career as head of The Academy to take some of the focus off the "Schoolhouse Wrong" controversy and Harry's infamy as "owner of the little black colon-blow pug." Vera accepts, sending out a campus-wide e-mail blast for the staff and students to be on their best behavior during the week Heath stays on campus. Everything goes ass-over-teakettle when the eccentric former headmistress Helen MacLellan pays a mildly-intoxicated visit, Heath discovers a suggestive facebook message from Treble Watkins on his boyfriend's phone, and "alumni success stories" Leo and Maya blow off an important interview to cross something off their bucket list.
TALK THE TALK

"Talk The Talk" is the fifteenth episode of Season 6.

## Synopsis

When nearly all Jillian's "elf income" goes to taxes, she decides to take matters into her own hands to make more money. When she learns that all the arts departments except the theater department have an assistant department head, she and Robert come up with a plan with which to approach Vera and Colin in an attempt to have the position created for her and secure a raise. Colin tasks her with finding the school's new dialect coach. She immediately seeks out her favorite college professor Eleni Tsaganis in an attempt to coax her out of retirement at least until May, but upon arriving at the professor's home, Jillian discovers via Mrs. Tsaganis's daughter Ariadne that her beloved professor, now nearing eighty and recently widowed, has pulled a Helen MacLellan and has spirited herself off to a cattle ranch as well. When Ariadne seems to show the same level of skill her mother had in dialect work, Jillian brings her to Colin for an interview only to find that Colin is heavily considering another candidate: Jillian's own mother! Meanwhile, Marley reveals to her guardians that she wants to live with Bonnie and Jerry, while a date night for Harry and Vera ends with a trip to the hospital when Vera takes a nasty spill and breaks her leg.
Jonathan Bates

Jonathan Hargrove Wigglesworth Bates is the director of the Winter Lake Academy for the Arts theater department during the first five seasons of the show. He loves to watch telenovelas and eat fondue, and demands a room in any and all of his living situations exclusively for his theater memorabilia. He is wildly creative but horrendous with money.

He approaches Bonnie in episode 2.5 about an ambitious production he plans to stage, and although she is not sure whether he is really after her or her family fortune (which would help him stage the production), she accepts his proposal in episode 2.11. They elope, but the marriage, which is discovered not to be legal, disintegrates when Bonnie learns that her "late" husband Jerry is alive and looking for her and Jonathan discovers that the fading soap opera star Calliope Witherspoon is actually Callie Murphy, a girl he hooked up with on Christmas Break while she was a student at The Academy and he was a student at the Finger Lakes School For Aimless Boys. After he learns that their brief dalliance produced a daughter and the daughter has a child of her own who is herself a student in Jonathan's very own theater department, he sets off for California in search of Calliope and resigns from his job. He is replaced by Colin Andrews.
HARD, COLD TUMBLE OF A JOURNEY

"Hard, Cold Tumble of a Journey" is the thirteenth episode of Season 9.

## Synopsis

Daniel, having received permission from his "comedic musical" cast to poach their best rehearsal bits for the spring mainstage musical, is finally out of writers' block hell and is back to being the singing, joyous ball of sunshine that drove Cliff up a wall in their roommate days. Delighted and bursting with creative energy, he barrels into Colin's office with a handful of different proposals only to learn that after the stunt Mary pulled with "Jurassic Nutcracker" in the dance department, the trustees have pressured the other departments to do more "established" productions. While Bonnie has the energy to stand up against the decree, Colin does not, and he has secured the rights to "Urinetown." Meanwhile, poor weather leads to traffic in The Academy's underground tunnel system and Harry, sick of wiping out constantly on the ice while walking his dogs, attempts to persuade his wife to focus efforts on maintenance aboveground.
EVERY DAY I WRITE THE BOOK

"Every Day I Write The Book" is the seventeenth episode of Season 9.

## Synopsis

Desperate to avoid the teen-angst-catharsis-party of the dramatic improv musical, the accidental bloodletting and filth of the comedic improv musical, the potential donor alienation that would come with a barbershop ode to letting one's pubic hair grow, or paying for extra performance rights for "Urinetown," the theater department decides to stage a medley from "Julia!" for the New York Gala. With Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont theater technically a Broadway theater, the staging of Daniel's work marks his first Broadway production since the gone-too-soon "Jewperheroes," albeit in the role of composer and not performer. Still, a credit's a credit, and when Daniel overhears praise in the men's room (punctuated by the staccato noises of a stranger's intestinal distress, care of the obscenely rich tiramisu whipped up by Alice and Athena) for the piece, his decision to join Leo and Maya in their venture is solidified. Meanwhile, Dana introduces Michelle to the students she volunteers with at the Ali Forney center, while Bridget accompanies Julie and Emily to Admitted Students' Day at Sarah Lawrence to make sure they don't take off and "go rogue" as they did the summer before their junior year.
LET'S GET LOUD

"Let's Get Loud" is the thirteenth episode of Season 2.

## Synopsis

When Talia, Cora and Maya all miraculously land the same weekend off-duty from their dorm parent responsibilities, they round up Vera, Jenna, Doreen, Michelle, Jillian and Violet and crash a master class Bonnie is giving at the New England Conservatory before whisking her away to the bachelorette weekend to end all bachelorette weekends. With the Alcott Family Black AmEx and Jenna's moderate-to-severe ladyboner for Pinterest crafting, not a stone is left unturned and the most ridiculous suite at the W Hotel is decked out with gifts and garlands and custom candy dishes, all in Bonnie's favorite color. The night of champagne, charades, and dramatic readings (in Violet's delightful British accent, of course) of "Arts of Seduction" is topped off by a raucous Magic-Mike-esque performance by "Surprise Package," a troupe comprised of Leo, Cliff, Treble, Paul and surprise guest Colin who found a last-minute babysitter. By the time the other women notice notorious girly-girl Maya fidgeting through Michelle's famous spa treatments and excusing herself to the powder room instead of powering through sing-alongs to Talia's "Bachelorette Party" Pandora station, another guest is well on her way to crashing the party.
KICKSTARTER

"Kickstarter" is the fourteenth episode of Season 3.

## Synopsis

After a number of student and faculty injuries during particularly brutal weather conditions, Victoria, Charles and Dana decide to spearhead a project to clean up the tunnels so the Winter Lake community can go between classes without having to face snow and ice. While Charles thinks he may be able to convince his grandfather to fund the cleanup effort, Victoria suggests that elbow grease might not be enough as the tunnels with their rounded edges and steep entrance points are not up to ADA code and her own father would not be able to use them. Michelle suggests crowdfunding to build awareness of The Academy's pressing need for accessible accommodations, reasoning that a successful campaign might attract gifted applicants who may not have been able to navigate the campus before. Meanwhile, tensions flare between Esther and Maya when a heater malfunction on the closing night of "This Might Be A Musical" forces Maya to doff her trademark baggy winter sweater and reveal her secret.
DUCK YOU, YOU DUCKING DUCK

"Duck You, You Ducking Duck" is the third episode of Season 7.

## Synopsis

The annual senior class mountain-climbing trip has been replaced with a scavenger hunt tour of Boston. While the student body delights in working together to find clues leading them to their final destination, an afternoon picnic in Boston Common, the staff remaining behind at the public park must deal with a large collection of angry waterfowl encroaching on their space. When new Spanish teacher Becca Alvarez finds herself attacked by the crazed birds, it's a back-together-with-Cliff and enjoying-a-three-day-weekend Heath to the rescue. Tensions flare back at The Academy when Isobel reveals that the Subaru Jenna ruined is actually a lease. Meanwhile, Colin approves Leo and Maya's fall show, "Caught In A Rad Bromance," a musical about long-separated twin brothers who find each other through a Lady Gaga message board, and auditions are held.
WALK THE WALK

"Walk the Walk" is the sixteenth episode of Season 6.

## Synopsis

When a recuperating Vera prescribes herself "pug snuggles" to aid in the recovery process, Harry takes the opportunity to get out of the house, accompanying book club buddy Bonnie in a trip to the Winter Lake Mall on the first day of Spring Break to prepare for Marley's arrival and ends up treating himself a little too much. Marissa presents the Culinary Arts staff with an official diagnosis of anxiety and the team works with her to prepare the following year's curriculum so she can relax when it is finally time to teach it. Ariadne and Barbara continue to compete for the dialect coach position while Laurel throws her hat into the ring. Meanwhile, Cliff and Cora take the Sommers Seven on a trip to a trampoline park, while disappointing results in the Faculty Fitness Challenge force Leo to come to terms with the fact that he runs like an ostrich with a firework up its hind end.
THE ROCKY CHALLAH PICTURE SHOW

"The Rocky Challah Picture Show" is the sixth episode of Season 3.

## Synopsis

The late-night showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show have begun, and since pug business is slow and Julianne's condition is stable, Harry offers to chaperone a group of interested students into Boston to attend a showing. Winter Lake alum Vera warns her husband of the stunts the students of her generation pulled when unleashed upon the city, so he enlists some of the faculty and some of the off-duty dorm parents to keep the young rapscallions in line. Upon arrival, the gang is shocked to find Esther and Rabbi Steve (as Janet and Brad) at the front of the line, considering it's Shabbat. Meanwhile, while staying on campus with a boarder friend, Victoria discovers the hidden tunnels beneath the buildings and starts a rumor that there's a race of mole people living down there.
Clone Sharpshooter

The Clone Sharpshooter is basically a sniper. The Sharpshooter uses regular clone armor and uses only a Vibro Sword and the DC-15X Sniper Rifle.

As guessed by the name, the Sharpshooter is a long distance, slow firing, and extremely accurate unit. This unit is an elite Clone Trooper capable of picking off enemies before they start to cause any threat to the main force. This unit is best used at Medium-Long distance as the slow rate of the Sniper causes the unit to be near to useless in close range.

It’s advised this unit is played by more experienced players who have grasped the knowledge of the travel time of the laser and predicting how far to aim in front of a moving enemy.
WHAT THE FLYING PHO

"What The Flying Pho" is the third episode of Season 8.

## Synopsis

Suddenly feeling remorse for leaving Leo and Maya high-and-dry but loving Broadway way too much to leave, Ellen calls in a favor from old pal and one-time co-star Bridget, and the cheerful Aussie relocates to Winter Lake, takes Ellen's spot on her lease, and quickly endears herself to Leo, Maya and the four tots. Julie (despite her dance history) begins her studies in the Culinary Arts department, where she flourishes until a careless mistake sends her ass-over-teakettle with a vat of piping hot pho. While she is unhurt, the same cannot be said for a priceless piece of Elvis and April Sherman's antique furniture and her error jeopardizes the department's home at Haven Farm. Meanwhile, when a clique of bizarre transfer students audition for the fall musical, Leo accidentally makes a verbal promise to them to incorporate their more unorthodox talents into the production, which rattles Daniel as his musical "Take This Broken Wing" has no space in it for Tuvan throat singing or playing the spoons.
CROISSANT MOON

"Croissant Moon" is the first episode of Season 3.

## Synopsis

Vera and Harry forgo their annual summer vacation to work around the clock hiring staff and recruiting students for The Academy's new Culinary Arts track. While the Winter Lake community and the staff of the Stickitt Inn (whose kitchen will serve as the training grounds for the young chefs) is thrilled, the ambitious new project drives a wedge between Athena Rockwell, who is tempted to strike out on her own and chair the new department, and her mother, who needs all the help she can get after a fire destroys Wonderwall's Winter Lake location. Jonathan workshops his one-man show all along the Eastern Seaboard, but Bonnie doesn't have the heart to tell him how boring it is. Meanwhile, when the date of her operation arrives, Jillian finds out that her hospital roommates are none other than Grandma Butts (in for tachycardia) and Victoria (in because she accidentally got an arrow to the spleen).
Music Department

The music department at the Winter Lake Academy for the Arts boasts the most diverse group of students this side of the United Nations, both in country of origin and in field of study. Winter Lake Academy is proud to be the only school in North America to have a student majoring in the triangle.While the majority of music performed by students during their time at The Academy is of the classical variety, many students go on to perform more contemporary music during higher education and professionally. While performers of every instrument are welcomed and celebrated at The Academy, the school is best known for its vocal training, led by renowned opera singer Bonita Alcott.

## Operas performed by The Academy (2014-2022)

* Madame Butterfly
* Mostri tascabili, acchiappali tutti!
* Non sono stato io a mettermelo nel culo, deve essere stato un fantasma!
* Charlie mi ha morso il dito
* Schrankgeflüster
* Vai a lucidare il tuo cappello di carta stagnola!
* The Brown Note
* Mio padre era coperto di api, e anche io sono coperto di api!
* Die Geisterjäger
THE CLAM BEFORE THE STORM

"The Clam Before The Storm" is the twenty-second episode of Season 7.

## Synopsis

"Sea Sharp" is a resounding success, with Colin's witty script, Daniel's smooth edits, JJ's gorgeous costumes and Mira's inventive choreography all receiving accolades from respected members of the metro Boston community. Leo decides to put the rivalry aside and ask for Daniel's assistance writing the fall musical. With Carey out of "Duck Me In The Park" and Lena in police custody, the campus appears safe enough for Axl and Carl to take a weekend off to travel to California to compete on their favorite game show, "Is That What I Think It Is?" However, between Axl's speedy buzzer hand and Carl's razor-sharp intellect, their success leads them to wonder if they could make a career out of winning prize money. Meanwhile, Harry and the Book Club Girls prep Michelle for her upcoming book tour, while an opportunity opens up for Jillian and she has to decide which is more important, job stability or "the great escape."
SLOTHED IN TRANSLATION

"Slothed In Translation" is the first episode of Season 8.

## Synopsis

With their cruise ship docked for a week in New York City, Jillian and Robert decide to throw together a quickie wedding at the Central Park Zoo. Despite being hired after Jillian's departure, Daniel finagles an invite as Leo and Maya's manny and works with the couple (and Roger) to write a song about Jillian and Robert for the reception. However, plans to perform it go awry when the zoo grounds are evacuated after a breeding pair of sloths escape and Victoria, Emily and the eldest Andrews daughter Julie vanish in the tumult. What was supposed to be a celebration of love nearly seven years in the making turns into a city-wide wild-goose-chase as the wedding party assists the Changs and the Andrews in the search for their children. Later, Michelle receives a surprise (and very welcome) visitor at the Harlem stop on her book tour, while Hannah and Rocky take in a show downtown only to discover that the performance artist Woot Dollop Woot Dollop Echo is none other than Hannah's, and thus Esther's, long-lost sister Aviva.
Die Geisterjäger

"Die Geisterjäger" is Bonnie's attempt to bring a little bit of 1980s pop culture to the opera stage, via a completely sung-through (and in German, no less!) adaptation of the 1984 hit film "Ghostbusters."

While "Die Geisterjäger" is based on the 1980s classic and not the all-female 2016 reboot, Bonnie's production features gender-blind casting and features an all-gender team of ghostbusters.

Throughout the rehearsal process and during opening night, the set is visited by the presence of what Bonnie believes to be the ghost of deceased math teacher Roger Butts.
LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BLEEP

"Leave A Message After The Bleep" is the fourth episode of Season 3.

## Synopsis

When dozens of fan letters come pouring into Winter Lake's mailroom addressed to Bonnie and Michelle, Vera investigates to figure out why they're so popular and is floored to discover they're quite the late-night shock jocks. Maya, who has kept the abnormally well-behaved baby Annie by her side in the classroom since returning from maternity leave, second-guesses her choice when the brilliant infant's first word is a filthy one, courtesy of her band of foul-mouthed freshmen. After joyfully presenting her plan for a semester of brownie-making tutorials to both the Winter Lake board of trustees and the staff of the Stickitt Inn, Esther discovers that her 20-pound box of chocolate chips has gone missing. Meanwhile, Robert lands in hot water when he accepts a draft of the "Arts of Seduction" sequel as a creative-writing assignment under the condition that the character based on him is written out of the series.