Visit to a Small Planet

Visit to a Small Planet Summary | Act 1 Summary

Set in Maryland, in the home of the Spelding family, the play takes place in the near future. The scene opens in the living room where Roger Spelding delivers a TV broadcast, while his wife sits knitting and their daughter, Ellen, listens to her father. Roger delivers a news report reassuring the public that the object reported in the sky was a meteor rather than a space ship or new high-tech weapon. At the close of his broadcast, he poses with his wife and daughter.

The TV technicians leave and Mr. Spelding accuses Ellen of not listening to his broadcast. She has been distracted, waiting for her beau, John. The two parents tease her about the boy, saying that he lacks motivation. Ellen defends John with his plans to run his farm once they are married. Mr. Spelding extols the virtues of marrying a man with money rather than a farmer of walnuts.

John bursts into the living room out of breath and beckons the family outside. They watch in disbelief as a spaceship lands. Mr. Spelding runs inside to call General Powers, whom he had quoted in his earlier broadcast. The shiny exterior of the craft draws John to take a closer look. A door opens and a man steps out, dressed in an old-fashioned suit. The man introduces himself as Kreton and remarks about his costume being in the wrong style. The Speldings invite him into their house. Kreton seems surprised by the surroundings. Mr. Spelding inquires about Kreton's homeland and he is assured that Kreton does not hail from Mars, but somewhere very far away. Kreton denies his request for a television interview. He informs them that his visit is merely a recreational one, confessing that studying earth has been his hobby for some time. He indicates to the family that their civilization has only just begun.

General Powers enters and Mr. Spelding introduces him to Kreton. The general proceeds to interrogate the visitor while his aide attempts to investigate the spacecraft. At Mr. Spelding's inquiry about delivering the story, General Powers declares the house under Martial Law.

In the study, Kreton tries again to explain to the General that he is from another planet in another solar system, in another dimension. Kreton also warns him that he is able to hear what goes on inside the human mind. At the General's insistence on taking apart the spacecraft, Kreton decides to place a protective field around it. Kreton admits that most people from his world do not have any interest in earth's society at that point in their history. He assures them that his visit is not hostile, though he would like to take charge of the world. A bit delirious from the overwhelming and primitive thoughts of the humans, Kreton retires upstairs to lie down.