A regional opera company struggles to rehearse a new work while beset by oversized egos, artistic disputes, and backstage chaos. The prima donna refuses to cooperate, the tenor cannot master his role, and performers repeatedly threaten to quit.

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The turmoil reaches new heights when Agata, the outspoken mother of the seconda donna, arrives and begins interfering in every aspect of the production, demanding greater prominence for her daughter and even for herself. As tempers flare and cast members come and go, the production spirals out of control.

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When financial troubles and artistic disasters finally overwhelm the company, the opera collapses altogether. Unable to satisfy their creditors, the troupe abandons the production and slips out of town under cover of darkness, leaving behind a hilariously disastrous theatrical fiasco.