Act 1 Summary

The stage is set in a living room of a house in a small town in the deep South in 1900. It is the home of the Giddens family: Regina, her husband Horace and their daughter Alexandra. The room is filled with fine, expensive furniture. The first character to appear is Addie, a 55-year-old Negro woman who is moving about closing windows. Cal, a middle-aged Negro man, enters carrying a tray with glasses and a bottle of port. Addie takes the tray from him and arranges the items on the table. She can't believe that Cal has brought in that particular bottle of port. He replies that Miss Regina told him to serve it in honor of their guest.

Birdie Hubbard, Regina's sister in law, rushes in through the dining room doors. She compliments Addie on the delicious meal and tells Cal that she...