In the heat of Cold War tensions and the World Chess Championship, a Russian and an American face off, putting far more at stake than the title of Chess Champion. A love triangle forms when Florence, chess second to the American, Freddie, falls for the competition, Russian Anatoly, and all soon realize that chess isn’t the only game of strategy being played. Throughout Chess, a rock musical, the players, lovers, politicians, and spies all struggle to get the upper-hand, even if they must lie, cheat, or betray, proving that “everybody’s playing the game, but nobody’s rules are the same.”

It’s the final dress rehearsal at the Grand Theatre for the play “Nothing On,” a poorly-written show involving woman in their underwear and men dropping their trousers. There are missed cues, jumbled lines, and lots of sardines. Next, the play is seen one month later from backstage, and many chaotic occurrences take place. Finally, near the end of the run, the play continues as the cast becomes bored and cynical toward the show, and as a result, the show and set begin to fall apart.

Released from a state prison after serving time, Tom Joad returns to his family’s farm in Oklahoma. He and a new companion, Jim Casy, find Ma and Pa Joad packing up for a trip—their destination: California, the “land of opportunity” to find work during the Great Depression. But what they find is that California has a lot less opportunity than they expected. It will take the religious faith and strong will of the Joad family to survive.