Theater
The OES 2026–27 Performing Arts Season
Great Hall Theater
Our show selection for this school year invites audiences into stories of discovery, transformation, and the power of seeing the world and ourselves in new ways.
In our fall show, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, witty rivals Beatrice and Benedick, along with the people around them, navigate love, deception, and mistaken perceptions, learning that the stories we tell about ourselves and others may not always reveal the whole truth. The winter show, Peter and the Starcatcher, follows an orphaned boy as he embarks on an adventure filled with pirates, magic, friendship, and imagination, discovering courage and a sense of belonging in his journey toward becoming the legendary Peter Pan.
Together, these tales remind us that who we become is shaped by the people who challenge our assumptions, the narratives that surround us, and the courage to imagine something different. Whether through theatrical magic or Shakespearean wit, both plays celebrate the joy of discovery, the transformative power of connection, and the possibility of becoming, more fully, ourselves.
The year culminates with the spring show, a slate of expressions developed by OES students, celebrating their unique perspectives, the joy and discipline of theater, and the deep collaborations that fuel the creative process.
Fall Show
Much Ado About Nothing
Nov 11–14, 2026, 7 p.m.
Directed by: Pete Buonincontro
This fall, the OES Visual, Music, and Performing Arts Program presents Shakespeare’s classic rom-com, Much Ado About Nothing. Back from quelling his brother Don John's rebellion, Don Pedro stops by his friend and ally Leonato’s estate for a respite. While there, his right-hand man, Claudio, falls madly in love with Leonato’s daughter, Hero, and wins her affection, much to the chagrin of the "forever bachelor" Benedick. While waiting for the wedding day, Don Pedro decides to secretly match Benedick with his nemesis (and former flame) Beatrice, despite the fact that they cannot stand each other. However, trouble ensues as Don John and his henchmen plot to ruin the wedding. This is the quintessential "will they, won't they" romance that has influenced well over 400 years of comedy, all packed into a fast-moving, family-friendly one-act show!
hr
Winter Show
Peter and the Starcatcher
Feb 24–27, 2027, 6:30 p.m.
Directed by: Lauren Cuellar
Before he was the boy we’ve known as Peter Pan, he was a boy with no name, no family, and no idea that his life was about to change forever.
Peter and the Starcatcher takes us through a wildly imaginative adventure across the sea as a band of orphans, a young Starcatcher-in-training, a crew of pirates, and a slew of unforgettable characters collide in a story filled with danger, friendship, magic, and discovery. This imaginative prequel explores physical comedy, music, and a little theatrical magic; taking us on a journey of how an ordinary boy became the legendary Peter Pan, and how Neverland came to be.
A fast-paced theatrical adventure for audiences of all ages, Peter and the Starcatcher celebrates the power of imagination and the magical stories we can create together.
hr
Spring Show
Spring Extravaganza created by OES students
May 12–15, 2027, 6:30 p.m.
Directed by: Emily Stone
Developed by OES students, the Spring Show celebrates students’ unique perspectives, the joy and discipline of theater, and the deep collaborations that fuel the creative process.
hr
About Our Theater Program
Stage productions at OES are an opportunity for the practical application and further development of technical and acting skills learned in curriculum-based courses, serving to encourage students to become involved in the theatrical arts, as well as providing thought-provoking entertainment for the community.
The Visual, Performing, and Musical Arts Department is committed to providing the opportunity for students to participate in at least three fully-produced mainstage productions per year. We are committed to staging plays that align with our school mission and thus benefit the intellectual, cultural, spiritual, emotional, and artistic growth of our students. We strive to choose plays that are relevant to the community and that complement each other over the course of the year in style, content, and technical demand.
Our spring show is a student-driven (written, directed, produced), curriculum-based production, though all productions offer multiple levels of acting and technical challenge to meet students at appropriate developmental levels. Utilizing a mentorship model, OES mainstage productions offer leadership opportunities for our student directors, actors and technical crew. In all productions, we seek a creative, collaborative process and environment and encourage crossing disciplines, divisions, and departments, as well as involvement with the wider community.
