A traveling troupe heads to a small seaside town on tour. Its director, Mr. Pochinovsky, has a beautiful wife - the prima donna of the troupe, who adores her dog and never parted with her. By chance, a young man, Ivan Vasilyevich, comes to the actors, who remains in the troupe, succumbing to the persuasion of Pochinovsky and the charms of his charming wife. Artists come to town. The mayor's wife, seeing the actress's dog, demands from her husband, the dog belonged to her. Persuasion, demands, cunning do not help. However, the mayor knows a way to force himself to obey: performances of the Pochinovsky Theater are prohibited. And the director is forced to give up the dog and look for money for a bribe.