The play begins with the curtain up and the stage set as if the company were in the middle of a rehearsal for Luigi Pirandello’s Mixing It Up. The actors and the Manager arrive and start rehearsal.

During the rehearsal, the Prompter interrupts to point out that the Leading Man should be wearing a cook’s cap. The Leading Man protests that it is too ridiculous. The Manager responds by complaining about the low-quality comedies the company must put on because of a lack of good French comedies. He does insist that the Leading Man wears the hat, as it is a part of the symbolism of the play.

As the company resumes the run, the six characters enter from the back of the stage and interrupt rehearsal. The Manager asks what they want, and the Father states that they are searching for an author to put on their drama. The Manager says that there is no author present, as they are rehearsing a published play. The Father asks if the Manager would be their author. The Manager calls the characters mad.

The Father sees this absurdity as an attractive aspect for artists.