How Science Plays Are Building Interdisciplinary Bridges in the Classroom and Inspiring Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

For 12 years, Denise Gillman has taught the course Science on the Stage at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. The plays studied awaken intellectual curiosity and understanding of human nature and complex scientific ideas within the framework of a good story and can do so for students of every major. This article presents how science-themed plays build interdisciplinary bridges in the classroom, create collaborative inquiry-based learning models, and launch creative research pathways for undergraduates. It explores the use of these plays as an interdisciplinary springboard by sharing exercises and writing assignments that engage various learners. It also exemplifies, through student work and two case studies, how students’ research and creative investigation of these plays have originated questions that explore urgent problems and led them into capstone experiences, research projects, and conference presentations.