Will commercial fame crush a tween's hopes of serious stardom? Isobel Vega-Flores is as serious an actress as a tween can be. She has appeared in dozens of plays in regional theater and was recently reviewed in The New York Timesfor her role in a small Off-Broadway show. When her theatrical agent suggests she go out for some commercial work, Isobel is appalled. Commercials are, quite frankly, beneath her. However, when Isobel's parents tell her that they might not be able to afford the tuition for the world-famous dramatic academy she has her heart set on, a few commercial auditions don't seem so bad. She books a spot for a soft drink that will onlyair in Japan. Seems perfect, but then she learns that the product is coming to Americaand her face is about to be plastered on every billboard, shown in every magazine, and looped endlessly on television. Is there any way Isobel can maintain her integrity during this brief dramatic pause?

P.G. Kain lives in New York City, where he is the chair of Contemporary Culture and Creative Production in Global Liberal Studies at New York University.