RheAnn Mennefield ’19

I really feel like the Writing for the Stage program helped me find my voice..I can’t recommend this program enough because it allowed me to reach deep within myself to find what matters most to me in this world and write about that. This caused me to get to know myself in ways I could have never even imagined and in turn, has made me a more confident, curious, and truthful playwright.

“The Writing for the Stage program helped me find my voice. Around my sophomore year, I had written a few assignments that I was unhappy with, so my professor talked to me about why I was writing them. My professor challenged me to create stories that came from within myself instead of trying to make stories that typical audiences were used to receiving. Those plays were fine, but I had no sense of fulfillment by them because they were not true to my experience as an African American woman. The answer seemed obvious, but it was a major turning point in my artistic journey. I took this lesson with me when it was my turn to have a short play in the Playwriting Projects. I wrote something that came from how I viewed and felt about the world and seeing it come to life was one of the most satisfying experiences of my college career. Furthermore, The Playwriting Projects taught me how to work with directors, and how to be a flexible team player when creating and producing new work. The lessons that I gained from that experience are the ones that I use in the professional world today. I can’t recommend this program enough because it allowed me to reach deep within myself to find what matters most to me in this world and write about that. This caused me to get to know myself in ways I could have never even imagined and in turn, has made me a more confident, curious, and truthful playwright.”

–RheAnn Mennefield ’19