Frances Sanders is a talented New York actress on vacation in Sarasota, Florida. After two fabulous weeks, she discovers her younger sister, Precious, whom she hasn't seen for 35 years, is in a Sarasota jail for a bloody murder. Precious swears she has been framed. Frances believes her and decides to stay and investigate. "While you sign autographs?" asks her husband, realizing her fame. Frances has created many characters to play on the stage. Now she must create a character to play on the stage of real life. Enter Marla Pearl: Blond Frances sits in front of a mirror and sees the opposite of herself: tough talking, black haired Marla who goes forth only to find herself topless in a red neck bar, locked in a sinking sailboat, and worse before the final scene. Failure equals final curtain for Frances and for Precious, too.