Act 1, Scene 2 Summary

The glow of the new money-making idea, which started in New York and the lights of Hollywood, is at completely opposite ends of the desert that Jerry, May, and George are crossing. Train travel cannot be fast enough for these three to hatch their new idea in Los Angeles, and May, especially, is struggling to control her nervous energy.

With another stroke of good luck, May encounters an old friend, Helen Hobart, who is now a leading Hollywood gossip columnist and very powerful in the town. Being mentioned in Helen's column can make or break a career. Fortunately, Helen remembers May fondly and thinks the diction school idea is a definite money maker, offering to help promote it and to introduce the trio to a studio head, in exchange for fifty percent of the business.

George is not quite in the...