Playing with ideas of love, hope, inspiration, artistic merit and dreams, "The Nina Variations" is a clever, funny, and heartfelt adaptation-cum-homage to Chekhov's "The Seagull". The two main characters, Nina (Leigh Adel-Arnold) and Treplev (Mark Koenig), try to re-write the fate of Nina and Treplev from "The Seagull", but they struggle, succeeding in parts and failing in others. What we see is a witty and sentimental interchange of philosophical ideas and daily ideals.

As Nina and Treplev re-imagine their relationship in 43 revisions of the play's final scene, we begin to understand just how complicated these ill-fated characters are.  Adel-Arnold convincingly portrays Nina’s changing moods and feelings towards Treplev, while Koenig is measured and controlled, revealing slowly his desire to establish himself as an artist and express his passion for Nina. Playing adaptations of well-known characters can be difficult -- actors have the added complication of breaking through the already formed opinions and impressions that audiences have -- but both Adel-Arnold and Koenig give sensitive and poignant performances that bring new insight into these characters.

Playwright Steven Dietz has been able to capture the language and rhythms of Chekhov's layered and nuanced dialogue -- no small feat.  And despite the intensity of the main themes, including the loss of love, director Jim Gaylord has been able to highlight the humor and delicate word-play of the text to give the audience a breather and moment to take in what is inevitably about to transpire for the lovers. The intimate setting of the space, and the declarations of love followed instantly by reproach, all make for an honest Chekhovian-like drama. What is always enjoyable in Chekhov's pieces, and what "The Nina Variations" does so well, is the contrast between the slightly absurd characters and the undeniable truths of the human condition.