“THE BLUEPRINT: A DNA Musical” follows the events surrounding esteemed Jewish biochemist, Rosalind Franklin, in the 1950s to look at how diversity of thought, culture, religion, and gender play into what we consider scientific progress. Using the race to find the structure of DNA as a case study, Sylvia wanted to explore the ways in which contributions and truth in science world are diminished by the societal structures in which we work. THE BLUEPRINT highlights how the struggle for notoriety and success is about more than grit and intelligence, but about how you play the game in an unfair world. 

Artist Statement

Throughout Sylvia’s studies in biology and also in musical theater, she noticed a mis and underrepresentation of female identifying thinkers and innovators. Specifically, elite institutions and the scientific communities within them have undervalued and consequently erased the importance of findings by female scientists in history. Through the composition itself and digging into Franklin’s story, she hopes to showcase how social dynamics and assumptions made in spaces of scientific inquiry affect scientific progress. This project was awarded Honors through the Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2021.