OnahotsummerafternooninNewYork,EmmaJonesgossipswithotherneighborsinherresidentialbuildingabouttheaffairthatMrs.AnnaMaurrantandthemilkmanSteveSankeyarehaving.WhentherudeandunfriendlyMr.FrankMaurrantarrives,theychangethesubject.Meanwhile,theirteenagedaughterRoseMaurrantisbeingsexuallypressuredbyhermarriedbossMr.BertEaster.ShedoeshoweververymuchlikeherkindyoungJewishneighborSam,whohasaseriouscrushonher.　　Thenextmorning,FrankMaurranttellshiswifethatheistravelingtoStamfordonbusiness.Mrs.MaurrantmeetsthegentleSankeyinherapartment,butoutoftheblueFrankcomesbackhome.HerealizeshiswifeisupstairswithSankey,andrunsupstairs.WehearshotsandseethetwomenstrugglingasSankeytriestoescapethroughthewindow.Maurrantrunsoutwithagun.HehaskilledSankeyandfatallywoundedhiswife.　　Maurrantisapprehendedandisledawaybypolice.HeapologizestohisdaughterRose,whowillnowhavetotakecareofherselfandheryoungbrotherwithouteitherparent.Rose'sbossoffersonceagaintosetherupinherownapartment,butsherefuses.ThensheseesSam,andtellshimshewantstoleavethecity.Sampleadswithhertolethimgowithher,butshetellshimitwillbebetterforthetwoofthemtohaveacoupleofyearsapartbeforetheyconsiderbecomingacouple.Rosewalksoffdownthestreetbyherself.

这是埃尔默·赖斯(ElmerRice)戏剧的音乐版，讲述了在“地狱厨房”公寓楼门廊上度过的二十四小时，美国大熔炉的缩影在夏季热浪中相互作用的故事。