- Lights rise on the living room.
- Boy Willie sits on the couch, screwing wheels to a board.
- Maretha sits at the piano, and Doaker sits at a table, playing solitaire.
- Boy Willie tells his little niece all about the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog.
- Berniece enters through the front door.
- She tells Boy Willie again to leave her house.
- Next, Berniece orders Maretha to go upstairs and get ready for Berniece to do her hair.
- Maretha is scared to go upstairs by herself, so Boy Willie goes with her, saying he'll beat up Sutter's ghost if they run into him.
- Doaker tells Berniece that Boy Willie is planning to use the wheels and board to take the piano out of the house.
- "I ain't playing with Boy Willie," says Berniece, "I got Crawley's gun upstairs" (2.5.13).
- Boy Willie and Maretha come back down stairs.
- Maretha has a comb and some hair grease. Apparently, it's not enough hair grease, though, so Berniece sends her to the store to get more.
- Berniece tells Boy Willie to leave again.
- He says it's Doaker's house, and he doesn't have to leave unless Doaker says so.
- Berniece asks Doaker to tell Boy Willie to leave.
- Doaker says Boy Willie hasn't done anything to get kicked out for and that Boy Willie and Berniece ought to just ignore each other if they can't get along.
- Boy Willie informs Berniece that, as soon as Lymon comes back with the rope, they're going to take the piano.
- Berniece threatens Boy Willie, hinting that she's got a gun.
- Boy Willie says he isn't afraid to die.
- He tells a story about a puppy he once had that died.
- He prayed to Jesus to bring the puppy back to life, but the dog stayed dead.
- So, Boy Willie went out and killed a cat.
- Boy Willie that that was when he "discovered the power of death" (2.5.29).
- He says that the white man doesn't know how to handle a black man who isn't afraid to die.
- Berniece dismisses everything Boy Willie just said.
- Doaker tries to change the subject and brings up that Avery is coming by to bless the house.
- Boy Willie says that churches are full of ghosts.
- Maretha comes back with the hair grease.
- Berniece tells her to put the comb on the stove to heat it up.
- "The Bible say an eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a life for a life," says Boy Willie. He says if she and Avery don't believe in that, then they only believe in half of the Bible.
- Berniece just ignores him, continuing to do Maretha's hair.
- Maretha cries out when Berniece accidentally burns her.
- "Be still, Maretha," says Berniece, "If you was a boy, I wouldn't be going through all this" (2.5.40).
- Boy Willie criticizes his sister for saying that to Maretha.
- Berniece tells him to mind his own business.
- Boy Willie also criticizes her for not telling Maretha the history of the piano.
- His sister tells him that, when he has a child, he can raise it the way he wants.
- Boy Willie says that Berniece is teaching Maretha to "live on the bottom of life" (2.5.54). Berniece thinks she's just showing her daughter reality.
- Boy Willie launches into a big long monologue about how he's just trying to make his mark on the world; that's why he has to sell the piano and get Sutter's land.
- Avery enters.
- Boy Willie asks him if a person can get into heaven with half a Bible.
- "You got to be born again," says Avery (2.5.64).
- Boy Willie taunts Berniece some more, saying she won't get to Heaven.
- Doaker tells Avery that Boy Willie and Berniece have been arguing all day.
- Avery talks about how his meeting at the bank went well; he just might get the loan for his church.
- Doaker says that Avery and Berniece ought to get married when that happens.
- She says she's only thinking about it.
- Doaker asks Avery if he's come by to bless the house.
- The preacher says he's read up on it, and he's ready to try it out.
- Boy Willie says there isn't a ghost and that it's all in Berniece's head.
- Doaker fusses at Boy Willie, telling him to be quiet.
- "God got the power! […] I ain't worried about him chasing away a little old ghost!" Avery preaches to them all (2.5.89).
- Lymon shows up; he's been out getting a drink with Grace.
- He and Boy Willie try to lift the piano onto the board with wheels.
- Berniece goes upstairs and comes back down with Crawley's gun.
- Avery urges them both to sit down and talk about it. Doaker agrees.
- Lymon can't decide what to do at first, but then he tells Boy Willie, "I might be wrong...but I figure she gonna shoot you first" (2.5.117).
- Boy Willie doesn't care if she does.
- Berniece tells Maretha to go into Doaker's room.
- She does.
- Suddenly, Winging Boy stumbles through the front door.
- He's really drunk and doesn't realize what's going on.
- Boy Willie and Lymon keep trying to move the piano.
- Wining Boy keeps begging everybody to give him a drink.
- They tell him he's drunk enough, and it's time to lie down.
- He says he's not tired, and he wants to party.
- Wining Boy sits down at the piano to play.
- Boy Willie orders him to move.
- "Wait a minute…wait a minute. This a song I wrote for Cleotha," Wining Boy says and starts to play.
- Boy Willie waits impatiently until the song is over and then tells Wining Boy to move again.
- Wining Boy throws his arms across the piano and says they'll have to take him with the piano if they want to move it.
- There's a knock at the door. Doaker opens it to reveal Grace.
- She's been waiting in the truck for Lymon.
- Berniece tell Lymon that he's got to take Grace somewhere else.
- Grace complains that they were supposed to be going to a movie.
- Lymon says he's got to help move the piano first.
- Stage directions tell us, "Everybody but Grace suddenly senses Sutter's presence" (2.5.178).
- Grace whines that Lymon is just like all the other men.
- Suddenly, says she senses Sutter's ghost, too.
- She gets all freaked out and runs outside. Lymon chases after her.
- Boy Willie calls for Lymon to come back.
- Everybody feels Sutter's presence again.
- Wining Boy asks if anybody else just got cold. He says he thinks Sutter is upstairs.
- Berniece tells Avery to go ahead and bless the house.
- Doaker tells him he ought to bless the piano; it's the cause of all the problems.
- Avery takes a bottle of holy water from his pocket.
- He lights a candle, gives it to Berniece, and tells her not to let it go out.
- Avery starts praying to God to banish Satan.
- His prayers escalate, and he throws water on the piano.
- Mockingly, Boy Willie grabs water from the stove and starts throwing around.
- He yells for Sutter to leave.
- Boy Willie works himself into a frenzy and runs upstairs.
- The sound of Sutter's ghost is heard, and Boy Willie is thrown down the stairs by an invisible force.
- "Come on, Sutter!" screams Boy Willie and he runs back up the stairs (2.5.200).
- Avery continues to pray.
- We hear the crashing sounds of Boy Willie wrestling with Sutter's ghost.
- He's thrown down the stairs again, but just runs back up.
- "I can't do it, Berniece," says Avery.
- Suddenly, Berniece realizes what she has to do.
- She runs to the piano and starts to play.
- "I want you to help me," she sings, calling on her ancestors. She sings for help over and over again.
- Finally, the sound of a train is heard.
- The sounds of Boy Willie's struggle with Sutter stop.
- We hear Boy Willie calling for Sutter to come back.
- Berniece continues to play, singing, "Thank you" (2.5.206).
- Boy Willie enters and watches Berniece play for a moment.
- He asks Doaker when the next train leaves.
- Doaker says he still has time to make it.
- Maretha crosses and gives Boy Willie a hug.
- "Hey Berniece," says Boy Willie, "If you and Maretha don't keep playing on that piano…ain't no telling…me and Sutter both liable to be back" (2.5.210).
- Boy Willie exits.
- "Thank you," says Berniece (2.5.211).