CBS Playhouse

The power failure that blacked out the Northeast in 1965 provides a key dramatic element in this play, set in the 50th-floor offices of Cohalen and Associates. The business day is ending when the power failure occurs, stopping elevators and office machines, and trapping some of the workers in semidarkness. Candles are found, liquor and ice are gathered from the executive suites, and a quiet party begins. As the evening progresses and inhibitions are swept away, the stranded workers begin to reveal themselves in unexpected ways. The drama focuses on--Saul Novick, embittered because his clients are being stolen by Peter Hoyt, an aggressive colleague who claims that the firm's owner approves of interoffice piracy. Art Richardson, a cautious junior partner enjoying a brief liaison with one of the secretaries. Jerry Arnot, slipping in stature and making pathetic efforts to regain lost ground. And Novick's girl friend Jess, unsure of herself and their relationship.