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May 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24,
1998
Plank Road School |
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Now an
aspiring young architect in Terre Haute, Indiana, Willum Cubbert has
often told his friends about the debt he owes to Rick Steadman, a fellow
ex-GI whom he has never met but who saved his life after he was
seriously wounded in Vietnam. He has written to Rick to say that, as
long as he is alive, "you will have somebody on Earth who will do
anything for you"—so Willum is delighted when Rick shows up unexpectedly
at his apartment on the night of his thirty-fourth birthday party. But
his delight soon fades as it becomes apparent that Rick is a hopeless
"nerd"—a bumbling oaf with no social sense, little intelligence and less
tact. And Rick stays on and on, his continued presence among Willum and
his friends leading to one uproarious incident after another, until the
normally placid Willum finds himself contemplating violence—a dire
development which, happily, is staved off by the surprising "twist"
ending of the play.
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