The Subject was Roses by Frank D. Gilroy – Winner 1965 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony® Award for Best Play Winner, New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play
It is May of 1946 and Timmy Cleary has come home from the war to his estranged parents, John and Nettie, in the Bronx apartment where he grew up. As their reunion promises a return to life as it never was, John, giving up a lucrative business opportunity, attends a ball game with his son and grudgingly, at Timmy’s request, returns with roses for Nettie in an insincere attempt at reconciliation. Reminiscing, the three attempt to recapture the past and all it symbolizes, but the ideal is shattered amidst recriminations. The next morning Timmy announces he is leaving once again, and husband and wife must face the reality of life with only their memories.