Act 2, Scene 9, Part 1 Summary

Maria comes into the Translation Center with a bag of onions and takes them out to Helena, who tells her offstage to put them aside. Maria comes back in, starts work, stops, takes out a hat and mirror and tries the hat on. Gross, from offstage, tells her that it suits her. Maria hurriedly puts away the hat and mirror as Gross tells her not to worry. He tells her who he is and says that he's the new Staff Watcher. Maria tells him that she'd already found him a new job in her brother's theater company. Gross talks about how he feels about being able to look at Maria all the time, and Maria becomes embarrassed. Helena comes in and tells her to go out and get some limes.

Ballas comes in, his memo in his hand. He...