Tommy, a black production assistant on the set of an erotic-blaxploitation-Othello-adaptation, yearns to be an actor. When the lead actor fails to get erect for the "central motif" of the film - a penis shot, Tommy volunteers to double-in for the role. He takes the previous actor's place, but he finds that his newfound spotlight requires him to embody increasingly ridiculous and problematic tropes and he must decide whether his dream of being an actor is worth forgetting his values.