Leslie Todd (senior-biochemistry) never thought she would write a play.

"I don't write," she said. "It took a lot of convincing myself."

Todd wrote Chances Are, the No Refund Theatre play that will be performed at 8 p.m. today and tomorrow in 111 Forum.

Todd wanted to direct a play for NRT, an organization she has been involved with since the fall of 1999 when her roommate piqued her interest in the group. Since then, she has directed once, acted once and worked on the technical aspects of many shows. Todd was also the president of NRT last spring and designed the organization's Web site.

Graduating in December, Todd wants her final show to be a special one. When she decided to direct the last show of the semester, she searched for the perfect script, but could not find one that she wanted to direct. Todd decided to write her own play instead.

"She e-mailed me a rough draft over the summer. From then to now, there's been an amazing transformation," said assistant director Hillary Cook (sophomore-visual arts), commenting on the changes that have been made to the script.

"At first I chickened out, then I went back to (the script) with input from other people," said Todd.

Chances Are is about six college students and how they interact.

"It's not about some dramatic event that happened," Todd said. Instead, the play focuses on the decisions that the three women and three men make.

Aryn Gabai (freshman-science) plays Mike, a character described as agitating.

"(Todd) is showing her true passion for theater with this play," Gabai said. "It is evident in the way she leaves it open to the actors."

Todd encourages her cast to interpret their characters in a way they think is best for the play. The cast received a final script at the beginning of November after Todd made numerous revisions based on feedback on other drafts.

"She knows what she wants and does a good job for motivation and character development," said Rachel Hubbard (sophomore-civil engineering), who plays Michelle, the lead female character.

Cook believes Chances Are has a universal quality to it.

"No matter who you are, you can relate to the play," Cook said.

Hubbard, who previously acted in NRT's production of Romeo and Juliet, agrees that any college student can connect with the play.

"It's not Shakespeare," Hubbard said. "It's more everyday and a lot easier to relate to the characters."

The cast and their work to bring the play to life have impressed Todd.

"There was this moment of 'Wow!' It's great to see the words coming up off the page," Todd said.

After months of work on Chances Are, Todd is eager for the performances tonight and tomorrow.

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed," she said. "It's been one heck of a trip."