Theater director Caden Cotard creates a new play in a Manhattan warehouse, using a MacArthur grant to fund his vision of brutal realism. As the play's cast and crew grow, Caden's own life spirals out of control, affected by his ex-wife, his struggling marriage, and his deteriorating health. He becomes increasingly disconnected from reality, blurring the lines between his play and his own life.

Synecdoche, New York
A playwright's quest for artistic harmony is threatened by personal chaos, prompting them to undertake a massive project: constructing a life-scale, indoor replica of New York City within a vast warehouse.