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The Arts

The Upper School provides an extensive program of music, dance, drama, and visual arts. The student develops her "aesthetic responsiveness" through in-depth involvement in the creative process. We firmly believe that students must engage with the arts and the creative process every day. Our program emphasizes a breadth of experiences for each student, combined with a depth of inquiry and practice in those areas that students need greater challenge as they hone their artistic talent and craft.

VISUAL ARTS

 

The Visual Arts department seeks to inspire students to gain a fresh perspective, provide an understanding of the role of art in contemporary culture, foster creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. Our curriculum introduces students to develop both technical proficiency and a grasp of the creative process. Our faculty is composed of highly-skilled veteran teachers who have been or are currently practicing professional artists. Our students will gain an understanding of the world and themselves, and an ability to communicate their ideas in multiple ways.

PERFORMING ARTS

 

 

Music, its expressive and healing power, and the bonds that it can create, both locally and globally, may not solve the world’s problems, but it is an effective way towards understanding each other and working together for improvement. It begins with collaborative projects such as this, and in educational settings where teachers help students learn, think, and grow. I hope my students value the discipline and joy that comes from music-making, but also the importance of sustaining the arts throughout their lives and to future generations.

Theatre

 

St. Andrew’s School’s Theatre Program gives students in Grades 7-12 an appreciation and understanding of Theatre Arts.

Characters have adventures, face adversity, learn lessons, and are transformed through newfound knowledge. The stories give life to literature, history, and culture; bridging differences, building empathy, and reflecting human truths.

The theatre process offers students opportunities to develop life skills through Social Emotional Learning competencies (https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/) as they work collaboratively onstage and backstage.
 
  • Self Awareness (identifying emotions, accurate self perception, recognizing strengths)
  • Self-Management (self discipline, organizational skills)
  • Social Awareness (perspective taking, empathy, respect for others)
  • Relationship Skills (communicating, social engagement, teamwork)
  • Responsible Decision -Making (identifying problems, analyzing situations, solving problems, evaluating, reflecting, ethical responsibility)

The theatre program includes Theatre Club; International Thespian Society, an honor society for thespians; and school theatre production(s).

Shows produced include:

  • Wiley and the Hairy Man (2022) by Suzan Zeder
  • Dear Albert Einstein (2023) by Russ Kaplan & Sara Wordsworth
  • You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (2024) by Clark M. Gesner, Michael Mayer & Andrews Lippa
  • The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical - Theatre for Young Audiences (2025) by Joe Tracz and Music & Lyrics By Rob Rokicki
  • A workshop production of A Gift of Aloha to Queen Emma & King Kamehameha IV: Kaleleonālani (2025), written by St. Andrew’s students Reina Chia, Liesl Frey, Riley Ka’ai, Pomaikaikalani Aguiar and Kimberley Wong.

Theatre Workshops offered include Stage Combat (Nicolas Logue), Stella Adler Acting technique (Paul Palmore), and Musical Theatre Audition Tips (Judy Yoshioka). Students also learn and practice theatre skills through workshops offered through Hawaii Thespians.

In 2023, senior Elena Hollenbeak, won the English-Speaking Union’s (ESU) 40th Annual National Shakespeare Competition at Lincoln Center in New York City. She competed on three levels - school, state, and twice at the national level. She was awarded a summer study abroad at the British American Drama Academy. Her ESU experience was a pivotal point in her growth and exemplified St. Andrew’s Schools’ mission “To bring out the best in each student and empower them to Kulia i ka Nu’u - Strive for the Highest.”

Students in Grades 9 - 12 can earn .5 credit for participating in a theatre production. This can be used towards accumulating the required 2 credits in Performing Arts for graduation.

Orchestra

 

Band

Choir

 

Hula