Act 1 Summary

Before the first act of Street Scene begins, the setting of the play is explained in great detail. There is a walk up tenement style apartment located in a dodgy, dilapidated part of New York City, built in the 1890s. It has a four-tiered stoop leading to double wood doors. The janitor's apartment is located just below street level, beneath the stoop. A sign reads, "Flat to Let. 6 Rooms. Steam Heat."

One of the first floor apartments bares a sign advertising that its resident, Prof. Filippo Fiorentino, is a musician and teaches lessons.

The audience is able to see the first floor windows and the bottom of the second story. To the left there is a partial view of the attached building, a storage warehouse under heavy construction. The house to the right is being demolished.

The janitor's apartment windows are lit, as...