Act 1, Scene 2 Summary

Henry sits on the floor of his apartment surrounded by recordings and searching through them. Charlotte appears, having just awakened. Her conversation with Henry consists of equal parts friendly bickering and impatient affection. Their bantering dialogue reveals that Henry is a famous playwright, that he's about to appear on a radio program called Desert Island Discs, and that he's expected to play and discuss eight pieces of music he would take with him if he were to be marooned on a desert island. As he searches through his music, it's revealed that Henry is a much bigger fan of pop than he is of classical, that he and Charlotte have a teenaged daughter named Debbie, who they both adore, that Henry has invited Max for a quick visit, and that Charlotte doesn't want to see Max. When Max knocks, however, she...