The Skirmishers

THE STORY: The scene is a small apartment on Manhattan's West Side, the home of Ralph Keptner, a young bachelor and Civil War buff. Reconciled to being alone, and to filling in the hours with an ongoing game in which the Battle of Gettysburg is fought and re-fought, Ralph is pleasantly surprised when Alan, a new neighbor from across the court, stops by to borrow some ice and shortly becomes an enthusiastic participant in the board game. But when Alan's beautiful young wife, Stoni, joins them, a subtle change begins, as drinks are shared and Alan's mood moves from affability to inquisitiveness to provocation. The focus of the action is on sexuality—Alan's conviction that Ralph has been spying on Stoni and himself in their bedroom, and his disquieting desire to watch his apparently compliant wife have sex with another man. The tension is broken when Stoni, aware of Ralph's anguish, berates her husband and sends him packing. But, when they are alone, Ralph, despite his wish that it were not so, is unable to respond to the invitation that Stoni so ardently bestows.