By Serena Lin ’25
As a senior neuroscience major at Pomona College, I never expected to find myself in an intro playwriting class. But that’s the beauty of a liberal arts education – it pushes you to explore beyond your comfort zone and discover new passions.
This semester’s playwriting course was a perfect example of Pomona’s interdisciplinary approach. Half the class consisted of STEM seniors like myself, while the other half were theatre majors. This diverse mix led to fascinating discussions and collaborations that truly embodied the liberal arts spirit.
One of the highlights was the creative writing exercises. As someone who regularly writes poetry, I hadn’t ventured into storytelling since elementary school. A favorite activity involved incorporating random prompts shouted out while we were writing. Imagine trying to weave in “and then God appears” or “something crashes” into your story on the fly!
We also had the opportunity to watch two plays: “The Play that Goes Wrong” and “Failure: A Love Story.” Having worked as a lighting assistant in the theatre during my first year, it was fascinating to experience both the behind-the-scenes and front-stage perspectives.
The course culminated in writing our own 10-minute plays, which were then read aloud by volunteer actors. I was even cast to read in a few plays, which dovetailed nicely with the public speaking skills I’d gained from a CMC speech writing class called “Leadership and Persuasion.”
My play, “Brewing Memories,” allowed me to blend my interests in storytelling and neuroscience. The logline reads: “As they’re frantically decluttering the house for the annual Christmas Craft-a-thon, Annie, a stubborn grandma, and her shy granddaughter discover a family heirloom that reveals a secret, forcing them to decide the fate of an old friend.” It was a joy to explore themes of memory and Alzheimer’s through a creative lens.
This class taught me two valuable lessons: have fun and embrace constraints. Whether it was the 10-page limit, timed writing exercises, or random prompts, these constraints often led to our most creative work.
As I reflect on this unexpected journey into playwriting, I’m grateful for Pomona’s emphasis on exploration and interdisciplinary learning. It’s experiences like these that make a liberal arts education truly special and transformative.