The play centers around a playwright (the Author) who is trying to stage one of his plays but is constantly interrupted by the chaos of the theatrical world. He is surrounded by a comically exaggerated group of characters actors, a director, stagehands, and others who all bring their own egos, incompetence, and absurdities to the rehearsal process.

The Author becomes increasingly exasperated as his artistic vision is compromised by petty squabbles, overacting, and a general lack of seriousness from everyone around him. He is portrayed as a stand-in for Anouilh himself, a frustrated artist trying to bring order and meaning to a profession filled with unpredictability and folly.

Despite his efforts, the rehearsal descends into farce, and the Author is left questioning the purpose of his work and the nature of art itself.