The play begins with Brick and Maggie in their bedroom at Big Daddy’s plantation.  Brick gets out of the shower to hear his wife complain about his brother’s children and that his father is dying of cancer.  The doctors have lied to Big Mama and Big Daddy about the severity of the cancer by saying he suffers from a spastic colon.  Everyone else in the family knows the truth, but they do not want to tell Big Daddy or Big Mama because they feel that it is not necessary on his birthday.

Brick had broken his ankle the night before by jumping hurdles at his high school athletic field.  Maggie complains about him going to the track and because he drinks too much.  Brick does not like to listen to her complaining, but he listens anyway to stay away from an argument.  Maggie sees Brick’s indifference in what she was talking about, and she cries because she lives with someone who does not love her.  Because she is lonely and lives with a man that doesn’t love her, she calls herself a “cat on a hot tin roof.” 

Maggie closes the door to the bedroom and tries to seduce Brick, but Brick says that she is only making a fool out of herself and to stop.  She does not know what’s wrong with her, but she suspects that it is because she confessed to him about sleeping with Skipper—his best friend.  Maggie talks about Skipper and how she was jealous of his relationship with Brick.  She remembers days in college where they would go on double dates, but she felt the Skipper and Brick were on a date rather than Brick and her.  One time during Thanksgiving, Maggie confronts Skipper on Brick and Skipper’s relationship, but Skipper tried to deny it. 

Brick throws a crutch at Maggie trying to make her stop, but instead of making Maggie stop, she told him that is a perfect time of the month for them to try for a baby.  Big Daddy enters the room, and his servants bring in his cake to celebrate his birthday.  Maggie kisses Brick on the lips, but just after she kisses him, Big Daddy notices that he wipes it off.  Brick goes to get another drink, and Big Daddy decides it’s time to talk to Brick about his problems.

Big Daddy tells Brick that he never loved Big Mama and tells story about their trips together; however, Brick does not care to listen to any of his stories.  Big Daddy asks Brick about his drinking problems to try to understand what’s going on in his mind, but Brick refuses to explain by saying he does not know why he drinks.  Big Daddy takes Brick’s crutches away and tries to make a deal with him.  The deal was that he would give him another drink if Brick would explain why he drinks. 

Big Daddy knows that Brick started drinking right after Skipper died, and he asked Brick if their relationship was just a friendship.  Brick confesses that their friendship was clean, but one day Skipper calls him confessing his love, and Brick hangs up on him.  Big Daddy does not believe this story and thinks that Brick did love Skipper the way Skipper loved Brick.