Theater Season 2024-25
Winter Show
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Feb 26–March 1, 2025
Upper School Great Hall
Directed by: Josina Reaves
Shakespeare’s story follows a group of shipwrecked nobles who are stranded on a remote island after a magical storm and must navigate the island's mysteries, which include supernatural beings, romance, and revenge, while learning lessons about forgiveness and redemption. Our Tempest adaptation will be a musical with songs from the 80’s cult classic film Xanadu and set in a defunct roller rink – expect a swirling disco ball, tropical prints, and neon roller skates to light up the winter!
Image credit: Amy A. ‘27
The OES Visual, Performing, & Musical Arts Department Presents:
Student Extravaganza showcasing works created by OES students
May 21–24, 2025
Directed by: Emily Stone
The annual Spring Student Extravaganza is an extraordinary labor of love created by and for students as a showcase of performance-based work in multiple mediums including dance, theater, and video. The OES Performing Arts program believes in empowering students to envision and produce their own creative expression using the widest possible skill set, led by our graduating Performing Arts seniors. Join in the celebration of unique student voices in our community!
Fall Show
Ghostlight by Stephen Gregg
November 13–16, 2024, 7 p.m.
OES Great Hall Theater
Directed by: Pete Buonincontro
When indifferent student Garbiela Nettles is inexplicably admitted to the prestigious Doves Forge Academy, all he wants to do is leave. But before he can get himself expelled, Garbiela starts to hear ghost echoes of a long-ago tragedy in the school’s theatre. As he investigates the sounds (by joining the disastrous play in progress), Garbiela uncovers a story that’s both surprising and surprisingly moving. Theatrically staged using the production’s audience and live sound effects, Ghostlight has hilarious characters, unexpected twists, and a riotous finale.
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.