London, 1640. Since women aren't allowed to be actors, Esther must disguise herself as a man to get onstage. Everyone knows her as Samuel Garland, the great English actor. Her daughter Abra has a friend John; both ten-year-olds are theater enthusiasts. He dreams of being an actor, while she of becoming a playwright–but that, too, is an activity reserved for men alone. Despite these obstacles, they manage to realize their dreams, never suspecting for a second that the theater, like their future, is about to be dealt a fatal blow.