Simpatico was first presented at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in New York, on November 14, 1994. The cast was as follows:

ACT 1 Cucamonga, California

ACT 2 San Dimas, California; Midway, Kentucky; Cucamonga, California

ACT 3 Lexington, Kentucky; Midway, Kentucky; Cucamonga, California

Act One

Scene: Lights come up on—a cheap, ground-floor apartment on the outskirts of Cucamonga. A sign with this single place-name, “CUCAMONGA”, hangs above the set. The apartment is very sparse. A sink piled with dirty dishes against the stage-right wall. A bed with one blanket against the left wall. A pile of dirty clothes at the foot of the bed, on the floor. Rough stucco walls in pale green, absolutely bare with no attempt to decorate. A window in each wall trimmed in pale Mexican orange with sun-bleached plastic curtains. The windows look out into black space. No trees. No buildings. No landscape of any kind. Just black.

Note: This set occupies most of the stage in Act One. In Acts Two and Three it takes up only part of the stage, on the stage-right side.

Actors have entered in the dark. Lights come up on VINNIE, sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows on knees, staring at the floor. He’s dressed in a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, dark slacks with no belt. Everything very rumpled as though he’s been sleeping in his clothes for weeks. Bare feet, CARTER peruses the room, crossing from one window to the next, looking out, then moving to the sink. He’s dressed in a very expensive beige suit, dark tie, brown overcoat slung over one arm and a briefcase containing his cellular phone. His shoes are alligator loafers with little tassels. Both men are well into their forties.

CARTER: Well, this isn’t bad, Vinnie. Cozy. Close to the mall. Little sparse maybe. Picture I had was that you were much worse off.

VINNIE: What’s sparse about it?

CARTER: Well—it could use a lady’s touch. You know—a few throw-rugs or something. What do they call those? You know—throw-rugs.

VINNIE: All’s I need is a bed.

CARTER: Sixties style, huh?

VINNIE: I didn’t have a bed in the sixties.

Pause.

CARTER: Right. Well, you got someone looking after you? Someone to do the laundry? Dishes? I can get that arranged for you if you want. Local talent.

VINNIE: I’m fine.

CARTER: Okay. (Moves to pile of laundry.) But you shouldn’t ought to let the laundry pile up on you, Vinnie. You let that happen, it starts to go sour. Gives you a bad impression of yourself.

VINNIE: I don’t need the laundry for that.

Pause.

CARTER: You taking care of yourself otherwise? Not too much booze?

VINNIE: Not too much.