The film follows two men living in a Rio de Janeiro slum: a black shoe-shiner and a white mill worker.

Rio de Janeiro crooks rove about, performing petty tricks to survive, and get involved with a woman who steals cars.

All the magic of the theatre is revealed to viewers as they follow the challenges involved in the various stages of putting on a play – from selection and reading to rehearsals and, finally, opening night before the audience.