When eccentric (and ancient) producer Maurice Zane meets young Scott Kenton at a party and finds out he is a fledgling and hungry writer, he invites him to his cramped office in the Sardi Building to discuss "polishing" his unproduced masterpiece, The Death of Lila Hunter.

Scott finds the five acts (with four intermissions) play impossible but tries to fix it. He learns the old theatrical adage "when you wash garbage, it only comes out as clean garbage." In the course of their relationship, Scott starts to suspect that perhaps Maurice's career wasn't the only thing that he murdered.

The play is presented as part of the Circle of Laughter Festival: Simply Staged. Seriously Funny.