Petey, and his wife Meg, eat breakfast and Petey tells his wife that two men are coming to stay at the boardinghouse; who he had met them the night before. Meg is confused overwhelmed by the news, but soon promises she will have a room ready for them. Stanley Webber, a man staying at the house, gets informed two new men will be staying there. Meg leaves to go shopping. Soon after Goldberg and McCann show up to the house. They are the two men who are wanting to stay. Stanley, seems suspicious about the two. Meg tells them that it is Stanley’s birthday, and Goldberg suggests that they have a birthday party. Stanley does not like the two new house members and tells Meg his concern and, Meg tells him to open his birthday present, Stanley says that it is not his birthday. He opens the present and it’s a toy drum with drumsticks, that he plays around the house.
Later that evening at the house, McCann takes a seat at the living room table. McCann tells Stanley “happy birthday” and he can’t wait for the party, Stanley says he wants to spend the night alone. Stanley wants to know why he and Goldberg are at the house, and gets frustrated when McCann claims they are there on a holiday break. Goldberg and McCann start asking Stanley questions about his past that are outrageous like “killing his wife.” Stanley get upset and hits Goldberg in the stomach. The party starts as Meg and a girl name Lulu show up. Stanley sits by himself at a table until Meg says they should all play a game called “blind man’s buff”. Stanley’s turn, he is blindfolded by McCann, who breaks his glasses and puts the toy drum in his way so that Stanley will step on it. Tries to attack Meg. Goldberg and McCann pull him off, but then the lights go out. In the dark, the two men cannot find Lulu, who has screamed and fainted. McCann gets his flashlight out to find Stanley standing over Lulu as though about to sexually assault her. He laughs as the men slowly approach him and that’s the end of Act 2.
The next morning, Petey and Meg try to eat breakfast. Meg doesn’t remember much about the night before, and forgets that Petey was not there. Goldberg enters the room and sits at the table. Petey asks about Stanley, and said he suffered a nervous breakdown, and needs to be taken to a doctor whom Goldberg knows. Petey wants to see Stanley when he wakes. McCann goes to get Stanley. Goldberg asks Stanley if he wants to leave with them, but Stanley mumbles words. They leave with Stanley, but Petey tries to stops them. Petey allows them to take Stanley. Petey returns to the living room table and picks up his newspaper. Meg shows up back home and asks if Stanley has come down to breakfast yet. Petey lies and tells her Stanley is still sleeping, and they act as though it’s just another day.
