My favorite class last semester was AMST 3370: American Theatre on Stage and Screen II (1960-Present). This class examined how theater responds to historical events and the process of play adaptation from script to screen. As someone who did technical theater in middle school, I found the premise of the class intriguing, but I was very scared. As a statistics major, I took this class on a whim to fill two distribution requirements. I was worried about the fact that I hadn’t written an essay in over a year, and everybody else in the class seemed to know more about theater than I did.

As the classes went by, I found that I had no reason to be intimidated. The professor did a great job of checking in to ensure everybody understood the terminology she used, and having a small class meant participating became a habit. The class was heavily discussion-based, and I loved hearing everybody else’s thoughts about the fascinating material we were reading. I realized that Professor Gainor chose plays very deliberately, about topics that everybody had opinions about. Some categories of plays in the syllabus were: “Reconceiving American Histories”, “Staging American Education”, “Staging Immigrant Lives”, and “Towards a More Inclusive American Future”. This class reminded me how theater (like all art) puts a mirror to our lives, reflecting hidden truths and causing the audience to critically think about how the world is, and used to be.

As part of class, we would watch film adaptations of the plays (if they existed) and analyze those in conjunction with the plays themselves. After sobbing in my room while watching The Normal Heart film, I realized that it might be emotionally better for me to watch these movies with other people. Someone in class previously mentioned that they lived in Morrison Hall (close by), and I took a chance and asked her to watch Angels in America with me. These movie nights became a tradition, and we even had a Galentine's Day celebration together. She and I became good friends, and we would end up texting each other, reacting to the assigned plays, something that has now continued with every episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Taking a class polar opposite to my major allowed me to meet people whom I may not have met otherwise, and Colette is one of the best people I know.

As a junior who now lives in Collegetown, I love walking by the Schwartz on my way home and reminiscing about how much fun I had in that class. I hope to apply the skills of critically engaging with literature and making connections to my own life to whatever I’m currently reading. One of my favorite facets about being in the College of Arts and Sciences is the ability to take classes like these that widen the breadth of my education. I treasured getting to regularly reflect on historical events and human existence through reading plays every Tuesday and Thursday morning. I often find that my distribution classes end up being a breath of fresh air in my schedule, and I am thoroughly grateful that I took a chance on this class.