But something in the pitch stuck: "No script. No character. Just you."

When Lena finally called "cut," Sophie stood in the center of the stage, breathless.

Sophie Dee had spent years mastering her craft, but lately, the lights felt dimmer, the scripts thinner, the applause hollow. She was tired of playing the same roles in the same tired sets. So when her agent called with an offer for a "new scene"—a completely independent project with an unknown director—she almost said no.