Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

The scene is an unused sun porch of an old-folks home. A bookcase is filled with seldom-read books and discarded newspapers. The porch is cluttered with items no longer used inside, such as old sinks, broken wheelchairs and walkers, a shabby sofa, and a broken piano. Planters are filled with now-dead flowers. Broken flower pots are on the floor. It's a sunny springtime afternoon, a Sunday, visitor's day at the home.

Weller Martin sits at a card table wearing terry-cloth slippers, khaki pants, a pajama top, and an old, brown wool bathrobe. An unlit cigar stub hangs from his mouth. An old biscuit tin lid serves as his ashtray. A pad and pencil sits in front of him. He sits in front of an incomplete game of solitaire, and he stares into space and mutters to himself. He resumes the game...