The play begins in a small town “near the Dragoman Pass” in Bulgaria, in the bedroom of a young woman named Raina Petkoff. It’s November 1885, and a war is on between the Bulgarian troops with their Russian allies, and the combined Serbian forces. The Serbian forces include many soldiers hired from other nations. The scene description, in italics, sets a pattern for the rest of the play. Although there is no official narrator and the scene descriptions are in essence only for the eyes of the company putting on the play, they contain a significant amount of detail not perceptible to a viewing audience. Only a reader knows these details. This includes, for example, notes on the mental states of some of the characters. The notes describe Rainia’s room’s décor as lavish, if somewhat kitschy. There are chocolate cream candies visible on a dresser. Raina gazes out her open window, and her mother, Catherine Petkoff, enters, telling Raina to close the windows because it’s cold outside. Catherine is excited and delivers news that the Bulgarian-Russian army has won a great battle at Slivnitza, against the Serbians and their allies.
