The Hunchback Variations

The Hunchback Variations dramatizes a hilarious and melancholy panel discussion between Quasimodo, hunchback of Notre Dame, and Ludwig van Beethoven, composer, on their attempt to create a mysterious sound effect called for in Anton Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard. Playing out over eleven musical scenes, or "variations," the story details the duo’s collaboration — one doomed by their deafness, unpleasant working conditions, and the fact that Beethoven has not fully committed to the process.