Summary
The entirety of the play takes place within the kitchen of the MaGrath sisters' residence in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. It explores the complexities of family dynamics, personal struggles, and societal expectations through the lives of three sisters. As the story unfolds, each sister confronts her own challenges, leading to moments of laughter, longing, and revelations.
Act I
The play begins with Lenny McGrath attempting to insert a birthday candle into a cookie, a token celebration of her own birthday. Her cousin, Chick, bursts in, flustered by something she read in the paper, although the audience is not yet privy to the details. "How am I supposed to hold my head up in this town?" Chick frets, sharing her concerns with Lenny as they deliberate picking up Babe, Lenny's sister. Chick, not shy about her disdain for the MaGrath family's reputation, hands Lenny a birthday gift—a box of chocolates—and departs as Doc Porter, Meg McGrath’s former beau, arrives. Lenny is disheartened by Doc’s revelation that her childhood horse, Billy Boy, was struck by lightning and killed. Doc then makes his exit to collect his son from the dentist.
Shortly thereafter, a phone call brings disturbing news about "Zackery"—later identified as Babe's husband—who is in the hospital with severe injuries. Meg arrives, and during her conversation with Lenny, it comes to light that Babe has shot Zackery and is currently being detained. The sisters’ exchange is tinged with tension, particularly when discussing their grandfather, who Lenny has been caring for, and who recently suffered a stroke. During this conversation, Lenny also learns that Meg’s singing career in California is faltering, explaining her return to Hazelhurst.
Chick soon returns with Babe in tow, her disdain for Meg and Babe palpable. "She doesn't grasp the gravity of the situation," Chick declares about Babe. Lenny and Chick dash out in response to an emergency call from a neighbor, leaving Meg and Babe alone to contemplate their mother’s suicide, an act that included the family cat. Babe begins to divulge the details surrounding the shooting of her husband. The sisters also touch on Lenny's insecurities—particularly regarding her shrunken ovary—which they feel has hindered her from engaging in romantic relationships, notably with a Charlie from Memphis she briefly dated. Realizing they’ve overlooked Lenny’s birthday, Meg and Babe decide to order a cake as Babe’s attorney, Barnette, arrives. Initially avoiding him, Babe eventually emerges as Barnette rekindles his acquaintance with Meg, recalling her Biloxi singing days.
Barnette discloses his motivation for taking Babe's case: a personal vendetta against Zackery. He also reveals evidence suggesting Zackery had abused Meg, a factor leading to the shooting incident. After Barnette departs, Meg confronts Babe with this information, and Babe confesses she is protecting Willie Jay, a fifteen-year-old African American boy with whom she had been involved. The shooting, Babe explains, was provoked by Zackery’s threat against Willie Jay. The act concludes with Babe agreeing to work with Barnette to strengthen her legal case and the sisters preparing a belated birthday celebration for Lenny.
Act II
As evening descends, Barnette continues his interview with Babe about the shooting. Babe recounts how she was so unnerved afterward that she went to the kitchen to make lemonade, a detail she worries "will look kinda bad." Zackery calls, issuing threats about possessing incriminating evidence against Babe. Barnette leaves to confront Zackery at the hospital, leaving Babe with his confession about his vendetta: "the major thing he did was to ruin my father's life."
Lenny enters, seething because Meg "shamelessly" lied to their grandfather about her career. Old rivalries surface, as Lenny queries Babe about Meg: "why...
(This entire section contains 1140 words.)
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did Old Grandmama let her sew twelve golden jingle bells on her petticoats and us only three?" The sisters revisit the hurricane disaster in Biloxi, when Doc was injured after refusing to evacuate, ostensibly at Meg’s urging.
Meg strolls in, clutching a bottle of bourbon, her quick apology to their grandfather almost overshadowed by her exclamation, "I just couldn't sit there watching him all miserable and sick!" The three sisters begin to bond over old photographs and decide to play cards. During a phone call, Doc is invited over by Meg. Criticism erupts between Lenny and Meg, as Meg prods Lenny about Charlie, leading to Lenny storming off in tears. Babe follows her, offering comfort.
Doc arrives, finding Meg drinking and revisiting past hardships, including her breakdown in Los Angeles. They agree to go out and drink further, with Doc cautioning about not getting too involved. Barnette returns with disheartening news: Zackery's sister has hired a detective who uncovered compromising photos of Babe with Willie Jay. The act closes with Lenny informing the sisters that their grandfather has suffered another stroke.
Act III
The next morning finds Babe on Lenny’s cot, both of them exhausted. Chick's voice heralds grim news: their grandfather is in a coma and likely won’t recover. Chick and Lenny divvy up the task of notifying relatives about his condition before Chick departs, leaving behind a trail of dissatisfaction. Anticipating Meg's return, Lenny and Babe discuss her whereabouts.
Meg arrives, her mood buoyant, and the sisters dissolve into laughter over their grandfather’s grim situation. They encourage Lenny to reconnect with Charlie, and bolstered by her sisters, Lenny retreats to make the call. Meanwhile, Babe shares the incriminating photos with Meg.
Barnette arrives with potential good news: he might coerce Zackery into settling out of court by leveraging scandalous information against him. However, to keep Babe’s photographs under wraps, he must abandon his desire to publicly denounce Zackery. Plans are made for Willie Jay’s safe relocation, and Barnette departs with Meg leaving to retrieve a birthday cake.
Lenny reappears, frustrated by her inability to call Charlie due to her insecurities. Chick storms in, calling Meg a "low-class tramp" for her behavior with Doc. Lenny, emboldened, confronts Chick and forces her out, celebrating her newfound assertiveness. Zackery calls, threatening to institutionalize Babe, but she defiantly hangs up, visibly shaken. Elated from her triumph over Chick, Lenny decides to call Charlie anew. Meanwhile, Babe takes a rope from a drawer and heads upstairs.
Lenny successfully reaches Charlie, arranging a date for later that day. Thrilled, she rushes to share her happiness with Babe, only to hear a thud from upstairs. Babe descends with a broken noose, having attempted suicide yet again. In a moment of levity and realization, she explains she now understands their mother’s actions: fear of dying alone led her to take the cat with her. Meg reassures Babe they won’t follow Zackery's threats. Lenny returns, surprised by a belated birthday celebration orchestrated by her sisters, and the play concludes with the sisters sharing laughter, a rare moment of unity and hope amidst their ongoing struggles.