The Arts

Magic behind the curtain brings the fantastical production of A Wrinkle in Time to life in front of a packed house at Ridgway Auditorium.

This year, not only were five Principia student pieces accepted to the prestigious and highly competitive St. Louis Young Artist Showcase, but one piece in particular received special recognition. 

Emanuel Harrold, two-time Grammy Award winner and Principia parent, leads a group of middle school musicians from across the St. Louis area in a day-long clinic in Ridgway Auditorium.

You’re in the wings of Lincoln Center Theater, about to perform a Shakespearean soliloquy for a panel of Broadway actors and producers. One of over 40 talented performers from across the country, you’re last to take the stage. Would you be nervous?

We all know the final product of a Principia production. Many have sat in the audience as Principia students commanded the stage, evoking laughter and tears. But what can be said of the preparation?

Upper Schoolers gave a rousing performance of Matilda the Musical, based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl. On a stage set with colorful letter blocks, students gave wonderful performances full of heart and a dash of rebellion.

In March, both bands performed at music festivals with judges’ feedback. The Middle School band earned the highest rating, Exemplary, at the Union Music Festival—impressive for a group mostly made up of sixth-graders with just one year of experience. Earlier, five Middle School students were also admitted to the St. Louis Metro District 8 Middle School Concert Band, a regional honor ensemble.

Principia Middle School students had one goal their first week back this January: create an excellent production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast JR. in five days. While this feat may sound impossible, it’s nothing new to middle schoolers and staff embarking on their fifth annual Theatre Week.

A nostalgic nod to the decades that defined dance, this year’s Upper School Concert Dance Show transported its audience to scenes from yesteryear, paying homage to the 1940s–early 2000s.

Kai Patterson (US’13, C’18) has been shooting and splicing his way across the galaxy and through time with two recent sci-fi film projects that have attracted worldwide attention.