Bus Stop

William Inge’s play Bus Stop (1955) is a drama with tinges of comedy throughout. Set in a diner during a snowstorm in March 1955 in rural Kansas, thirty miles west of Kansas City, it involves a group of people waiting at a bus stop who are forced to seek shelter together against the harsh storm. The ensuing drama involves several romantic entanglements that are born from their impromptu overnight layover in a local diner.

The play opens in the diner. It is one o’clock in the morning, and the owner of the diner, Grace Hoylard, and her teenage waitress, Elma Duckworth, are waiting for the Kansas City-to-Wichita bus to arrive. The local sheriff, Will Masters, enters the scene and tells the two women that due to the blizzard, the roads have been closed, and the bus will have to remain in the parking lot of the diner until further notice. The bus arrives, and five passengers descend, making their way into the diner, unsure of how long they will be stranded together.

One of those passengers is Cherie, a young woman in flashy clothes and piles of makeup. She approaches Sheriff Will, asking him to protect her from a cowboy who is still on the bus. Cherie claims that he has abducted her from her job as a singer at the Blue Dragon nightclub in Kansas City.



Another passenger, Dr. Gerald Lyman, a former college professor and full-time alcoholic in his fifties, makes a connection with Elma, the young waitress. Carl, the bus driver, flirts with restaurant owner Grace at the counter. It is clear that something is going on between them.

The door to the restaurant suddenly swings open, revealing a young cowboy, Bo Decker, and his older friend, Virgil Blessing, who is carrying Bo’s guitar case. There is instant conflict as Bo and Will argue about closing the door. Virgil tries to warn Bo not to antagonize the sheriff, but Bo is headstrong, launching into a tirade about his ranch and his prowess at the rodeo. He then orders food and sits at the counter to talk to Cherie. He hugs and kisses her roughly, which embarrasses Cherie. Grace complains of a headache and retires to her apartment for the night.

Cherie tells Bo that she is not interested in him, although Bo refuses to believe it, insisting that they must get married because they have been intimate. Will promises Cherie she will not have to go with Bo on the bus. Virgil takes Bo aside and tries to calm him down, but Bo struggles to come to terms with the fact that any woman would refuse him.



Dr. Lyman tries to impress Elma with his vast knowledge and life experience, and they make a plan to meet the next day in Topeka. Bo reveals to Virgil the loneliness he has been feeling. Cherie tells Elma about her life and begins to realize that marrying Bo might be a reasonable choice, despite her reluctance.

Cherie sings as a means to entertain her fellow passengers and pass the time. Her voice inflames Bo’s passion to the point that he lifts her off her feet. Will comes to her rescue by lunging at Bo, enabling Cherie to free herself. Bo and Will go outside to fight, as Grace enters the restaurant in her dressing gown. Outside, Will finally subdues Bo, slapping handcuffs on him. Lyman wakes up long enough to go to the restroom, and Virgil convinces Cherie not to press charges. He reveals to her that she is the first woman Bo has ever made love to. Cherie seems to be touched by Bo’s naïveté.

In the early hours of the morning, Will announces that the highway will soon be cleared. He then explains to Bo that a person does not have a right to get whatever he wants: he must earn it. At Will’s urging, Bo apologizes to everyone, offering money to Cherie to return to Kansas City. Bo shows genuine humility, which allows Cherie to see him in a different light, and she decides to go to Montana with him. Virgil lies to Bo, telling him that he has taken another job as he wishes to give the lovers their time together.



Carl reveals to Grace that Lyman has been in trouble many times for getting involved with girls. Will teases Carl and Grace about their rendezvous, which embarrasses Grace in front of Elma, who later assures her not to worry about it. Bo and Cherie say goodbye to everyone and leave happily. Grace sets about closing the restaurant as the bus pulls away. She sends Elma home and sends Virgil outside so she can go to bed. Virgil has no idea where he will go next. Grace takes one last look around the restaurant before turning off the lights.