Two for the Seesaw

About the show

Jerry Ryan, a recently divorced middle-aged attorney, moves from Omaha, Nebraska, to New York in order to separate himself from his ex-wife, Tess. Gittel Mosca, eccentric Bronx native, is a freewheeling dancer who struggles with ailments to her stomach. The play opens in September, with Ryan calling Mosca after an off-screen chance meeting. The two arrange a date, and the first act ends with Ryan and Mosca becoming romantically involved. Time has passed. It is now October, and the differences between Ryan and Mosca are becoming more pronounced as the two spend more time together. Mosca, who is characterized as someone who eternally gives and never receives, serves as a direct contrast to Ryan, who eternally leans on others. As Ryan tries to find work as an attorney, Mosca falls victim to a bleeding ulcer. The second act ends in February, with Ryan ushering Mosca off to a hospital. The third act opens in March, with Mosca healing from her bleeding ulcer and Ryan taking care of her. During this act, Ryan's out-of-town calls with his ex-wife Tess become more frequent, leading him to reveal to Mosca that he is still in love with her. Ryan moves back to Nebraska to heal his relationship with Tess, while Mosca remains in New York. The play ends in May, with a final phone call between Ryan and Mosca, thanking each other for a brief, but meaningful, relationship.