Where do you go when you can’t hear yourself? Franz is the most famous pianist/composer of the 1840s, but he’s suffering from a career-ending case of writer’s block. Hoping to find some peace and quiet, he decides to go live in an abbey for a while, buried deep in the Italian Alps. Instead, he finds Eugenia, a nun and fledgling composer whose work finally moves him to start writing again. When Eugenia hears his new piece, however, she can’t help but notice that it sounds awfully familiar. A VARIATION explores the limits of inspiration, the costs of making art, and the joy of self-expression.