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.
The Point Outdoor Theatre