Hey Eric–
I think you picked out a great piece here.
The fact that the characters casually contemplate suicide also puts the audience’s attention in the moment. At this point, it is really possible that anything could happen. During the play, it is difficult to avoid thinking about the sum of the play while the action is in progress. The sum of the play’s action cannot be assessed until every moment has concluded. Rather than focusing on the the “result” before the play has ended, the audience is forced to focus on the individual moments because they cannot predict when the play will end.