Beyond the Curtain: How Drama Forms Hearts, Minds, and Souls

This past month, our Drama Department transported us to the refined world of Jane Austen with their incredible performance of Sense and Sensibility. The wit, the elegance, the tension—all of it was brought to life by our talented students over the weekend of March 14–16. But the real story? It unfolded behind the scenes, long before the curtain ever rose.

Mrs. Abigail Farmer has a remarkable gift for seeing the potential in each student and nurturing it. She brings out the best in them—helping a shy student find their voice, or challenging a confident one to go deeper into their character. She works through their gifts and makes them shine brighter. She works through their insecurities and builds in them a new confidence. Under her direction, students don’t just become better actors. They become more courageous, more creative, and more grounded in who they are.

That kind of growth doesn’t just stay on stage. It carries into the classroom, into friendships, into faith. It’s the kind of formation that sticks—and it’s part of why drama matters so much in a classical Catholic education. A story like Sense and Sensibility  has stood the test of time not just because it's well-written, but because it reveals something timeless about human nature. Austen’s themes of virtue, prudence, love, and honor resonate with our students and challenge them to think deeply about the choices we make and the lives we lead. 

In fact, drama is one of the most integrated expressions of our classical curriculum: literature, logic, rhetoric, memory, movement, expression—it all comes together on the stage. Students don’t just study the Good, the True, and the Beautiful—they embody it. They wrestle with character and consequence. They learn empathy by stepping into another’s shoes. They become attuned to human nature—its weaknesses and glories—and come away changed.

And in a smaller school like KA, that opportunity is open to everyone. Every student who wants to be involved can be—in big ways and small. Whether acting on stage, managing lights and sound, painting sets, or serving backstage, there’s space for every gift to be called out, developed, and celebrated.

We’re so proud of the cast and crew—and so grateful to Mrs. Farmer—for another unforgettable production that formed not only great performers, but more courageous, creative, and confident young people.