Bus Stop (Masterplots II: Drama)
At a glance:
- Author: William Inge
- First Published: 1955
- Type of Work: Representational
- Time of Work: The 1930’s or 1940’s
- Setting: Kansas
- Principal Characters: Elma Duckworth, Grace, Will Masters, Cherie, Dr. Gerald Lyman, Carl, Virgil Blessing, Bo Decker
- Genres: Drama, Psychological drama, Comedy
- Subjects: 1950’s, Blizzards, Self-discovery, United States or Americans, Intellectuals, Love or romance, 1940’s, Restaurants, bars, taverns, or pubs, Alcoholism or alcoholics, Substance abuse, Small-town life, Idealism, Cowboys or cowgirls, Snow, Buses
- Locales: Kansas
The Play
Bus Stop begins during a snowstorm in early March in a small town about thirty miles west of Kansas City. The entire action of the play takes place in a street-corner restaurant, which serves as a stopover for the bus lines in the area. It is 1:00 a.m., and telephone lines are down because of the snow. Elma Duckworth, a romantic girl who works for Grace, the restaurant owner, questions Grace about her life with her former husband, Barton. The sheriff, Will Masters, comes in to tell them that the Topeka bus is due and the road to Topeka is blocked by the...
[The entire page is 2895 words long]

