George Grizzard, who played the young man, Nick, asked Mr. Albee about a speech describing an episode in a bar in which a prep school boy is humiliated in front of his friends. He must eat at regular intervals because of diabetes. Ms. Seldes and Earle Hyman internationally esteemed in the theater for his classical roles and famous as Bill Cosby's television father sit at opposite ends of the room studying their scripts. Mr. Hyman plays Man. Each sits in a molded white chair facing Mr. Albee's table.
Girl goes into labor pains.
At such close range, her screams are unsettling. The sequence of events that then unfolds is rivetingly peculiar. Soon after, Boy gets upset as he recalls having his arm broken by thugs. Girl, not listening, tells him how much she desires his body. While she is putting the baby to sleep offstage, Boy falls off his chair, re- enacting his powerlessness against the bullies, and begins to cry.