Plot Summary

 

There are no actual scene breaks in the play as events often roll relatively smoothly into one another. However there are a clear breaks within the action, usually indicated by a lighting change and a speech from Alfieri, that enable us to split the play up into a variety of sections that I have called ‘scenes’ here.

 

Act 1

Scene 1(pg 11)

·         Eddie returns, comments on Catherine’s skirt length and tells Beatrice that her cousins have arrived

·         We learn about Catherine’s job offer, Eddie is angry but is eventually persuaded to let her go

·         Eddie stresses the importance of keeping the Beatrice’s cousins a secret, remembers Vinny Bolzano

·         Eddie delivers a good luck speech for Catherine, Beatrice is angry at him, Catherine lights his cigar

 

Scene 2 (pg 26)

·         Marco & Rodolpho arrive, Catherine is instantly attracted to Rodolpho, Rodolpho & Marco talk about Italy

·         Rodolpho wants a motorbike, he sings ‘Paper Doll’, Eddie makes Catherine change out of high heels

 

Scene 3 – A few weeks later (pg 34)

·         Eddie waits for Catherine and Rodolpho to come back from the cinema, Eddies calls Rodolpho ‘a weird’

·         Beatrice confronts Eddie about not sleeping together for 3 months, Louis & Mike say Rodolpho is ‘humourous’

·         Eddie confronts Catherine about Rodolpho and says Rodolpho only wants to marry her for immigration papers

·         Beatrice tells Catherine to grow up and start standing up for herself

 

Scene 4 (pg 45)

·         Eddie visits Alfieri to see if there is anything he can do about Rodolpho and Catherine’s relationship

 

Scene 5 (pg 50)

·         Marcos & Rodolpho talk about their trip to Africa, and the greater sexual freedom in the U.S.

·         Eddie tells Marco about the late nights out and Rodolpho is made to promise he will come home early

·         Catherine, in an attempt to rebel, dances with Rodolpho

·         Eddie and Rodolpho box, Eddie punches Rodolpho hard, Marco lifts the chair in a threatening manner

 

Act 2

Scene 1 – 23rd December (pg 59)

·         Catherine tests Rodolpho – would he still marry her if they were to live in Italy, he says no

·         Catherine says that she can’t just turn her back on Eddie

·         Catherine and Rodolpho sleep together

 

Scene 2 (pg 63)

·         Eddie discovers Catherine and Rodolpho have slept together and threatens to throw Rodolpho out

·         Eddie kisses Catherine, he fights Rodolpho, he kisses Rodolpho and then throws him out

 

Scene 3 – 27th December (pg 65)

·         Eddie visits Alfieri one last time to check there is nothing he can legally do to stop Catherine & Rodolpho’s romance

 

Scene 4 (pg 67)

·         Eddie phones the immigration office, he learns that Rodolpho and Catherine are going to marry, says ok

·         Catherine and Rodolpho have moved upstairs with two other immigrants, Lipari’s nephews

·         Eddie panics, the immigration officers turn up, Marco spits in Eddies face and accuses him of ‘murder’

 

Scene 5 – Some days later (pg 77)

·         Rodolpho and Alfieri visit Marco in jail and bail Marco in return for a promise that he will not hurt Eddie

 

Scene 6 (pg 80)

·         Beatrice is going to the wedding but Eddie says she can’t until Marco apologises for ‘taking his name’

·         Catherine is angry at Eddie, but Beatrice realises they are all to blame

·         Rodolpho warns Eddie that Marco is coming (to kill him) and tries to apologise

·         Beatrice tells Eddie that he really wants Catherine, but he can’t have her

·         Marco and Eddie fight, Eddie is stabbed