Act 1, Scene 1 Summary and Analysis

*Writer's Note: The summary and analysis portions of this study guide have been combined for efficiency and effectiveness.

The curtain rises on a poker game in progress. The air is thick with cigarette and cigar smoke. The players sweat so much that the cards stick together. The air conditioner is broken, and though the windows are open, they provide little fresh air on this stifling night. This is the spacious apartment of successful New York City sportswriter, Oscar Madison. The players are all Oscar's friends who have played here every week for years. The poker players are: Murray, a New York City police officer; Speed, a sarcastic, acerbic man who has some of the funniest lines in the opening act; Roy, who is Oscar's longtime accountant: Vinnie, who tosses out one-liners to match Speed; and, of course...