Act 1; Scene 4

• This scene takes place at one of Alma's "intellectual meetings." John has agreed to come, and I believe he will show up.
• Mrs. Bassett is SO obnoxious! She has something to say about everything, and most of the time what she says is terribly rude and inappropriate! I don't know how Alma has the patience to continue on with her meeting with Mrs. Bassett interjecting every few seconds.
  
• John shows up just after the minutes.
• Alma puts off the verse play until cooler weather and Miss Rosemary is to read a paper on William Blake, the poet.
• Miss Rosemary stops reading because Mrs. Bassett keeps interrupting her. Mrs. Bassett considers William Blake a "mad fanatic." Mrs. Bassett claims to have read up on William Blake and believes he went into a drunkard's grave. She quickly discovers she is wrong.
• Alma reads one of Blake's "loveliest lyric poems."
  
  Never seek to tell thy love,
  Love that never told can be,
  For the gentle wind doth move
  Silently, invisibly.
  I told my love, I told my love,
  I told him all my heart.
  Trembling, cold in ghastly fear
  Did my love depart.
  No sooner had he gone from me
  Than a stranger passing by,
  Silently, invisibly,
  Took him with a sigh!
  
  I love this poem. It is saying that it is best not to tell someone of your love for them, or they will leave you in fear. The love that can be is kept silent and never spoken of. If you tell your lover everything you feel, they will leave you for someone who will give them the silent love they desire. The second you open up with your lover, they are sure to depart from you in fear of things being too serious. Maybe what happens later in the play will reflect what Blake was talking about in this poem.
  
  
• John leaves in a hurry.
  
• Miss Rosemary tries to read her paper but is again stopped by Mrs. Bassett.
  
• Mrs. Bassett makes an inappropriate comment that suggests that John is seeing Rosa Gonzales.
  
• When Alma reacts strongly to Mrs. Bassett's statement, Mrs. Bassett suggests that Alma has fallen for the young doctor!
• Alma tells everyone how disappointed she is that gave such bad impressions in front of their guest.
  
• The meeting is adjourned.
• I feel bad for Alma. I know she was really excited about John coming. I'm sure it upset her greatly that he left and the evening didn't go as planned. I really hope Mrs. Bassett isn't in any other part of the play. She is so irritating!
  
  

Act 1; Scene 3

• Mrs. Winemiller stole a hat! She really is just like a child. Alma and Mr. Winemiller have to treat her just like a child, too! She must be quite cross to bear.
• Alma calls John! He recognizes her laugh-how cute! Alma invites John to one of her intellectual meetings. Mrs. Winemiller announces that Alma is in love!
  
• Nellie arrives for her music lesson. Nellie is in an odd state. She is really excited because she has just started having crushes on boys! She explains that she met John and thinks he is "the wonderfullest person in all the big wide world." Alma tries to take Nellie down from her cloud.
• Mrs. Winemiller starts shouting about how Alma spies on John. Alma, embarrassed, sends Nellie home. Alma gives an angry monologue at the end of the scene. She yells at Mrs. Winemiller about how tired she is of taking care of her because she behaves so badly. I really like that monologue. Angry monologues are always fun.
• The scene ends with Alma and Mrs. Winemiller fighting over the hat and ruining it.
  

Act 1; Scene 2

• The scene opens with Alma meeting with the doctor.
• She admits she has had a proposal and doesn't deny being in love. She was proposed to by her Sunday School superintendent who also plays the French horn-Roget Doremus from the last scene! I did not see that coming.
  
• QUICK PREDICTION: I predict that Alma will have to chose between the proposal from Roger and a relationship with John. I have a feeling Alma is going to fall in love with John. They seem to have a nice chemistry, even though he makes her nervous. I bet everyone makes Alma nervous. I don't think Alma loves Roger. He is "nice" and she considers him her last chance at marriage, so she plans to settle. I don't think she will, though.
  
• The doctor clearly doesn't think Alma should marry Roger. He avoids saying how he really feels about Roger.
  
• Alma admits she doesn't love Roger and that she can't imagine herself in bed with him!
  
• The doctor encourages Alma to decide how much a physical relationship with a man matters to her.
  
• Alma clearly does not see Roger in a passionate light.
  
• Suddenly Alma remembers the date she had planned with John. The doctor encourages her to stay away from John. Even though the doctor is John's dad, he doesn't seem to think too highly of John.
  
• The relationship between the doctor and Alma is very sweet. Father-daughter like. I get the feelings that Alma's father isn't part of her life anymore for whatever reason. Maybe I'll find that out later.
• I like the play so far! I hope it has a happier ending than The Glass Menagerie. I'd like to see things work out for Alma.
  

Act 1; Scene 1

• I like Alma's nervous laughter. She would be a difficult character to play because of her mannerisms.
  
• I like the comic relief with Mrs. Winemiller asking for ice cream. It is sad but so funny.
• If the firecracker trick was timed correctly on stage, it would be very effective. I think John throwing a firecracker at Alma is a funny way to get a conversation going.
• We know John is extremely intelligent. He graduated Magna cum Laude from John Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. He is thinking of taking over some of his father's medical practice.
• Alma's monologue about the medical profession would be fun to perform. She takes it in so many directions.
• Alma admires John's father. John's father helps Alma with her heart trouble.
  
• It's cute when John teases Alma about having a doppelganger.
  
• Rosa Gonzales enters for the first time in a very exciting, dramatic outfit. Her father owns the gambling casino on Moon Lake.
  
• I like that Alma calls the fireworks show a "pyrotechnical display." She acts so proper.
• Nellie is introduced as one of Alma's vocal students. Apparently she isn't a very good singer. She claims to have fallen in love. I'm sure she'll come back into play later.
• I love that Alma claims to have a touch of malaria. I don't believe that is true at all.
• John clearly brings up the imitation of Alma just to pick on Alma. I don't think he is trying to hurt her feelings. I think he likes her.
• Alma gets extremely defensive. Through this we learn that Alma was deprived of her youth because she had to take care of Mrs. Winemiller-her cross to bear. Alma attacks John for upsetting her, calling him an "overgrown schoolboy."
  
• JUST LIKE I THOUGHT! John admits to liking Alma.
• It would be an interesting challenge to make the light from the fireworks reflect on John and Alma. I bet it looks very beautiful when done right.
• Alma agrees to go on a ride with John some afternoon. I bet that will happen later in the play.
  
• The scene ends with Alma with Roger Doremus. Alma feels very dizzy.