Sawdust and Tinsel is a story of the twisted relationship between Albert, the owner of a small, tawdry circus, and Anne, his mistress who is also a bareback rider in the circus. The circus arrives in the town where Albert's wife and children live, and the circus owner attempts to resume his relationship with his estranged wife. Meanwhile, fearing that Albert has spurned her, Anne allows herself to be seduced by an actor. All is not what it seems for Albert and Anne...