RACHEL KRUGLYAK

Hi, my name is Rachel. I love to read, write and tell stories.

As a Theater major and Interdisciplinary Writing minor at Occidental College, working with my professor Laural Meade, I have been writing plays that explore themes including relationships, friendship, hierarchy, power dynamics, and deceit. In my plays, women often come to realizations about their needs and find the strength to stand up for themselves.

For an independent project, I wrote a play, Aphrodite Academy, that explores themes of body image, sexuality, success, and hierarchy in a diverse group of high school girls who attend a modeling preparatory school. A mean, conceited model-to-be named Noa criticizes the other girls and undermines their confidence that they can make it in this competitive industry. The other girls, including Noa’s sycophants, tired of being belittled, form an alliance and scheme ways to dethrone Noa. Professor Meade found my play imaginative and thought it had potential. She put me in touch with playwright and screenwriter Erik Patterson who has been serving as a mentor and giving me notes on the play.

In the summer of 2022, I attended UCLA’s summer intensive “Introduction to Television Writing”, where I wrote the first act of an original pilot about 28-year-old Aurora Sanchez who returned to her high school as an English teacher after failing to make it as an author. In crafting my pilot, I focused on developing three-dimensional, relatable characters. I considered their motivations, desires, and fears. I found it rewarding to plan out pilots by interweaving multiple storylines, creating compelling plots, heightening suspense, introducing set-ups, and generating pay-offs. The program helped me pitch my idea to industry professionals and I appreciated their helpful feedback.

I am currently working on a play for my Theater comprehensives at Occidental, The Grass is Never Greener. This play is a dual narrative about Emilia Monroe, a successful cover model who feels burdened by expectations and social obligations and craves a day of rest and relaxation; and Katherina Wilder, a dramatic literature major at NYU who is struggling to write a play about Emilia. Throughout the play, characters grapple with and reflect on what success means for them.

My experiences led me to consider that some day, I could write narratives that shape our culture. Story ideas are constantly popping up in my head, and I am eager to develop the tools I need to turn these concepts into compelling stories that I share with the world.