Bus Stop

Play

Writers: William Inge

Overview

Show Information

Category
Play
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1955
Genres
Drama, Dark Comedy, Romance
Settings
Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
1950s, bus stop diner, Kansas
Cast Size
medium
Ideal for
College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, High School, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes adult, mature adult, late teen, young adult, early teen characters

Synopsis

In the middle of a howling snowstorm, a bus out of Kansas City pulls up at a small roadside diner. All roads are blocked, and the weary travelers on board have to take refuge in the diner until morning. Cherie, a nightclub singer, has the most to worry about. She's being pursued by "a young cowboy with all the romantic finesse of a rodeo bull." The belligerent cowhand is right behind her, ready to sling her over his shoulder and carry her, alive and kicking, all the way to Montana. As a counterpoint to the main romance, the proprietor of the cafe and the bus driver who have previously only spent time in passing, find time to develop a friendship of their own; a middle-age scholar comes to terms with himself; and a young girl who works in the cafe also gets her first taste of romance.

Lead Characters


Bus Stop guide sections