The time is the early 1950s.  The place is Harlem, specifically 126th Street between Lenox and Seventh.  We are in the barbershop of one Russell Parker (Norm Lewis), who, when we meet him, has not been doing much barbering for the past few years.  Since his dancing legs gave out, he is a man without a purpose or a desire to find one. He occupies his time sitting in his throne of a barber chair, reading the paper or playing checkers with his best friend William Jenkins (James Foster, Jr.), who has beaten Parker every single time they play.