circle of friends, who all have emotional demands on him, are: Edith, a married woman with whom he sometimes sleeps; Jimmie, a schoolmaster with cultural aspirations and a crush on William; Basil, a retired publisher and lonely cat-lover; Hilda, a minor executive who aspires to be racy; and Viola, a former lover of William's, who is not seen but rings him frequently, usually when drunk. William is kind and sweet to his friends, but it is not clear how much he depends emotionally on being a big fish in a small pond. William's friends bicker with one another and sometimes with him, but the group is generally stable until the arrival of Ronnie, an ambitious young author. He has been asked to find someone to fill an unexpected senior vacancy in a publishing company in Geneva, and he successfully seeks to interest William in the post. Most of William's friends resist, then accept with sadness, the prospect of his departure for Europe, but Basil is devastated and suffers a fatal heart attack from the shock. Shortly before his departure for Geneva, in conversation with Jimmie, William confesses that he was not the victim of an injustice at the university: the student's accusation was true. She was the daughter of a trustee who could secure William a position as president of the college. William proposed marriage and then left the girl in the lurch, causing her to kill herself. William has been working in a lowly position ever since as a form of penance and expiation. The Swiss appointment falls through at the last minute. William nevertheless announces his intention to go to Europe on holiday, hosting a farewell party where he expresses his unhappiness with his friends. It is left ambiguous as to whether he will return to resume his place at the center of his New York circle. The play ends with him once more soothing Viola over the phone. Critical reception Reviewing the premiere for The New York Times, Howard Taubman wrote, "There is a softness at the core of the play because there is a disquieting elusiveness about the central character. If you can believe in him, and Jason Robards Jr. makes a brilliant effort to turn him into a credible human being, you may find the essential story deeply moving. But if you can't, the work goes soggy.… Mr. Wheeler has not always steered a straight,