What happens before a play ever reaches the stage? This past summer, through a Wake Forest Arts and Humanities Research Fellowship, Senya Li (’28) worked alongside mentor Dr. Cindy Gendrich, professor of Theatre, to explore the stories behind The Secret in the Wings by Mary Zimmerman. Together, they traced different versions of the lesser-known fairy tales woven throughout the play, examining why particular tellings were chosen and how fantastical moments, like actors transforming from humans into swans, might come to life on stage. Their research will help inform Wake Forest’s spring 2027 production of The Secret in the Wings, co-directed by Gendrich and Jon Herbert, assistant professor of Theatre. #WFUresearch #ProHumanitate #DeacsDo