As a performing artist and playwright, Kristen Barrett hopes to focus her interests and create entertaining and enlightening art through the Miller Arts Scholars program. Kristen's desire to entertain stems from her lifelong affinity for musical theatre. Ever since her parents exposed her to Sesame Street and School House Rock reruns as a child, she has loved singing, especially in front of a crowd. At the University, she pursues her passion for musical theatre through singing alto for Hoos in the Stairwell, the only Broadway a cappella group on Grounds. While she enjoys entertaining through musical theatre, Kristen uses playwriting to explore obscure topics and underrepresented life experiences in order to enlighten audiences. For her creative writing, she draws inspiration from a variety of areas including African-American studies, Greco-Roman traditions, the Shakespeare canon, and even biological sciences. In Fall 2016, she directed a staged reading of her unpublished play To Do No Harm. Her play tells the story of a teenage girl, Destiny, who experiences anesthesia awareness. Even though To Do No Harm is a fictional work, the medical jargon and described procedures reflect reality due to Kristen’s research. Additionally, Kristen is passionate about depicting the black experience through theatre. In November 2016, she acted in the second annual Black Monologues, and next school year, she will produce the third annual production. Kristen plans to double major in both Drama and English.