When social workers from the Bureau of Child Welfare come to investigate, he must decide whether to accept some level of conformity in order to show himself a fit guardian. The play is episodic and funny, as Murray meets all challenges to his lifestyle with irreverent humor. Before Murray and Nick can leave, they find at the door Albert Amundson, a social worker, and Sandra Markowitz, a psychologist, both from the Bureau of Child Welfare. Murray has been ignoring their phone calls and letters for eleven months, and they have come to see whether he is a fit guardian for Nick. Murray answers their serious questions with jokes and non sequiturs. Albert is earnest and stuffy, and he has no appreciation for Murray’s whimsical sense of humor. Sandra, on the other hand, finds Murray and Nick charming.
As Murray Burns is flat-out marvelous,. Burns dominates the play from start to finish, a character with a challenging range of action and emotion. He is real, and genuine every minute, and when he finally makes the changes he has to, including agreeing to go back to writing the children's show, it's not a defeat, it's a conscious choice that he makes, knowing it's the right one. |