TEXT: Act 1 Scene 1 - Frasier's Apartment [Martin comes in with Eddie. Frasier is sitting on the couch reading a newspaper whilst Daphne is doing the cleaning.] Martin: [talking to Eddie first] Slow down! Hey Daphne, guess what Eddie ate in the park today? Daphne: Ooh let's see. A hot dog wrapper? Martin: No. Guess again. Daphne: A cigarette butt? Martin: No. Guess again. Daphne: Apple core? Martin: No. Guess again. Frasier: [becoming increasingly exasperated] Oh really, must you two play this ridiculous game? She makes some feeble stab and you say "No. Guess again." Then she starts flailing away with even more ludicrous answers, all the while you chanting "Guess again", until she's gibbering like some auctioneer with a bad bladder. Then you finally reveal the answer at which point nobody even cares. Daphne: [looking at Martin] I'm not sure which one of us got the worst of that, but I think it was you. Martin: Guess again. [The doorbell rings and Frasier goes to answer. It's Niles.] Frasier: Niles. Niles: There's a half-eaten lizard in your elevator! Martin: And that's the last hint you're getting. Niles: [reaching for his pocket] Oh Frasier, I had a breakthrough today with one of my compulsive gamblers and he gave me two tickets to the racetrack on Saturday. It's a luxury box - I though you might want to go. Frasier: Oh I would love to Niles. Why don't you want to use them? Niles: Well, the jockeys if you must know. Frasier: What? Niles: Diminutive, underweight figures in expensive silks wielding riding crops. It just reminded me too much of Maris. Frasier: Dad, what about you? I've never known you to turn down the horses. Martin: Ah, sorry. I've got poker with the
SUMMARY:
Niles has tickets for the race track at the weekend, and offers them to Frasier; he prefers not to go, as something about the jockeys reminds him of Maris. When Martin declines the invitation to join him, Frasier realizes that he has a shortage of friends in Seattle, as most of his old ones are back in Boston. After talking on radio about friendship, he meets up with Bob, a listener who called in, at Café Nervosa. Their initial friendship dwindles as their lack of common interests becomes apparent: Bob, a photographer at a local discount store, likes wearing a tam o'shanter and has an obsessive interest in barbecue. Frasier finds it difficult to break off the friendship when he sees that Bob is in a wheelchair.