Viktor Ryzhakov heads the Sovremennik Theater after the death of Galina Volchek, who led the troupe for almost half a century and enjoyed absolute authority. For the first production in the theater, the new artistic director chooses a play about a family whose members have ceased to understand each other. While working on a play, the director and actors become more and more like the characters of the future performance. They also find it difficult to find mutual understanding within their "theatrical family".