[1] The story is set in the early days of the Depression in a small southern Indiana town named Zion.
The play begins and ends with elegies spoken by two of the townspeople (Basil Bennett, a local farmer; and his farmhand Dewey Maples) describing what happened the day of Buddy's tragedy.
Jennie Mae, Buddy's sister, is attracted to C.C., and though he likes her, their large age difference stops the relationship.
The owner of the town's Dry Goods general store, Norma Henshaw, has her eye set on bringing an old-fashioned Christian revival to the community.
The local diner owner, Goldie Short, would love to see the church rebuilt – and all the Sunday customers it would bring to her establishment.
will rebuild the town church and bring back traditions of worship service and songs on Sundays and Wednesdays.
is trying to explain to the still singing townspeople that he isn't baptizing the boy, Buddy walks further downstream, and he is pulled under and drowns.