THE STRATEGY

The story follows Marilyn, a former reality TV child star whose life and career were upended by a catastrophic fire that left her face permanently scarred. Years later as an adult, she is directing a deeply personal play that re-enacts her trauma, using actors to portray herself, her mother, and her younger sister, Audrey.

Tensions boil over during a rehearsal when the real Audrey arrives unexpectedly. As the teenager watches from the audience, she sees a cruel, "off-kilter" version of herself on stage. Audrey is depicted as a "shitty copy" who capitalizes on the family’s tragedy to win beauty pageants. Ever-present in the play is the somewhat unsettling yet weirdly unchallenged representation of the mother Audrey and Marilyn share.

The estranged sisters confront one another privately in a claustrophobic room full of old props and abandoned sets. It is revealed that Audrey, who was only six years old when she accidentally caused the fire that deformed Marilyn, struggles with a lifetime of guilt and the feeling that she has "stolen" the life her older sister deserved. Marilyn defends her play as a pursuit of "truth," while Audrey argues that Marilyn is simply using her talent to weaponize their private pain for "ticket sales."

Despite a brief moment of understanding, the reconciliation fails. Marilyn asserts her power as the creator, tellingly informing Audrey that she only gets a say in the narrative when she "writes her own damn play."

The script concludes with Marilyn walking out, leaving Audrey alone in the silence of the old prop room before she takes a call from her mother.