The story follows Melina Mercouri as Maya, an actress playing Medea, who seeks out Brenda Collins, portrayed by Ellen Burstyn, a woman who is in jail for murdering her own children to punish her husband for his infidelity.

Maya, a Greek actress who has been working in Hollywood for years, has returned to Athens to play the title role in a stage production of Euripides' Medea.

The film follows three main storylines: (a) the production of the play, (b) Maya’s changing approach to how to portray Medea, and (c) the story of Brenda Collins’ murder of her children.

Brenda is initially happy and excited about talking with Maya, having never met a movie star before, but she is frightened and then infuriated when the press suddenly rushes into the interview room, snapping photos.

Maya also visits the Collins' former house (which has remained unoccupied—the chalk outlines are still on the floor, showing where the children's bodies were found) and meets with Brenda several more times at the prison.

She had been devoted to her husband and children and had begged Roy to stop his affair, but he treated her and her faith with disdain.

The film ends with a scene of the play's production at the ancient theater at the site of the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi.

[2] Ellen Burstyn's performance was nominated for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress.