Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

On a Friday night in 1957, Troy and Bono get together for their traditional payday beer and conversation. They talk about how a co-worker of theirs got caught trying to steal a watermelon and how the boss didn't do anything, which leads to a discussion about how Troy confronted his boss about white men being allowed to drive trucks while black men weren't. The conversation then turns back to the watermelon-stealing co-worker and a woman named Alberta that he had been seeing. Bono says Troy's been spending a lot of time with her as well, and when Troy tries to deny anything's going on, Bono says he's seen him hanging around her apartment. Troy protests that he's always looked at women but hasn't done anything about being with one since he married Rose. He then talks about how sexy he finds Alberta...