Hewitt News

Congratulations to the cast and crew of our middle school musical, The Pirates of Penzance Jr.! These talented young actors did an extraordinary job bringing Gilbert and Sullivan’s trademark humor and wit to the stage.

Our middle and upper school winter musical, Mean Girls: High School Version, gave students the opportunity to share their incredible talents on stage and behind the scenes, work alongside theater professionals, and engage our school community in art that encourages meaningful conversations about fitting in, being kind, spreading rumors, and the impact of our words and actions.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of A Midsummer Night’s Dream! Our upper school fall play brought Shakespeare’s magic and merriment to life on the Hewitt stage. 

Congratulations to the cast and crew of our middle school spring musical, Disney’s NEWSIES Jr.! This high-energy show was inspired by the real-life newsboys' strike of 1899 and its themes of courage, friendship, and standing up for the pursuit of justice align perfectly with Hewitt’s mission to inspire game changers and ethical leaders. 

Follow a few Hewitt kindergarteners as they engage in reading and literacy activities, problem solve in math and science, practice their Spanish language skills, learn new games and sports in physical education, and explore their creative expression in music and art!

Congratulations to the cast and crew of our middle and upper school musical, Chicago: Teen Edition! Hewitt’s talented students brought the electrifying energy of this classic musical to life, wowing us with their powerful vocals and dynamic dancing, and showcasing range and depth as they delved deeply into each complex character.

Congratulations to the double cast and crew of this year's upper school fall play, Clue: On Stage!

Watch this video interview with Gabriella G., Class of 2024, who speaks about the experience of publishing her work in an academic journal.

Hewitt’s Upper School Arts Day showcased not only the incredible talent and creativity of our students, but also the skills they learn through both performing and visual arts. 

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Hewitt’s middle school production of The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition! The production was bright, fun, and full of life, and the students involved demonstrated incredible teamwork.

Brava to the cast and crew of this year’s middle and upper school musical, the Pilot Production of Legally Blonde The Musical Jr. which was designed specifically for The Hewitt School!

Brava to the cast and crew of this year’s upper school fall play, Top Girls! As part of their rehearsal process for the show, Hewitt actors explored the play’s themes of patriarchy, motherhood, sacrifice, class, and what it takes to be a successful woman in a world that seems fit only for men.

During their minimester, seventh graders were guided by the central question, “Whose voices are heard; whose voices are not?” As they conducted field research, historical investigations, and interviews, students reflected on how different voices have been amplified or quieted throughout history. 

This spring, our middle school performers brought a wonderful production of Seussical Jr. to the Hewitt stage. Congratulations to the incredible actors, musicians, and crew members on this musical celebration of community, loyalty, friendship, imagination, and diversity! 

This winter, middle and upper school students put on an incredible production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. Congratulations to the many talented actors, musicians, and crew members who helped bring this creative, joyful, and heartfelt performance to life!

Bravo to the cast and crew of Hewitt's upper school fall production, The Resolute: All Hands In!  The play, which is set at one of the first elite colleges for women, was specially crafted for Hewitt’s talented student artists by playwright Gabrielle Sinclair.

As members of the play production team, we learned about theater by doing the actual work of producing a play. Through hands-on and student-led learning, we explored the specialized skills that go into planning a production while taking charge, solving problems, and working with our peers to achieve our goals. 

Participating in performing arts at Hewitt has given me the chance to develop new skills and make countless memories. Performing on stage has helped build my confidence, stage management has refined my organizational abilities, and being dance captain has given me the chance to be a leader and use my dance training in a new way.

When students teach their peers they take ownership of their knowledge and sharing new skills ceases to be a top-down exercise that must be led by the adult in the room. In these moments, the student sharing her wisdom deepens her own understanding and gains confidence in herself, while the student being taught gets the chance to hear a peer explain a new skill or concept, demystifying it and making it instantly more accessible. 

When the cast and crew of A Midsummer Night's Dream learned that health and safety guidelines would prevent them from performing live, they came up with creative solutions to ensure that they could share their production with an audience. Their strength, enthusiasm, and flexibility turned what could have been just another event cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic into an amazing theater experience for the Hewitt community.  

Hewitt’s Lunch and Learn series welcomed Julia Dunetz '15 back to campus for a discussion about how Hewitt helped her discover her passion for the arts and prepared her for a career as a theater producer. 

To ensure that her students can make and create while they are away from the art room, lower school art teacher Robin Lentz developed a collection of activities and how-to videos that require nothing more than something to draw with and a piece of paper. In this video, Ms. Lentz models for students how the art of doodling is a mindful experience that helps us stay focused and present in the face of distraction.

As Hewitt students and teachers returned from spring break and began developing new remote learning routines, music teacher Kirsten Lindberg saw an opportunity to bring our community together with a unique rendition of our school song. Ms. Lindberg gathered clips of students and faculty singing “At Hewitt” to make this beautiful tribute to the strength and power of our school community. 

Congratulations to the cast and crew of our fall production of The Wolves! These talented young women brought intensity, passion, and commitment to their performances of Sarah DeLappe's Pulitzer-nominated play. 

To learn about the animals that inhabit our oceans, second graders engaged in an interdisciplinary and multisensory project that invited them to explore marine life as readers, writers, artists, researchers, and public speakers. By directing their own learning at every stage of the project, these young scientists became deeply invested in work that was meaningful to them while developing confidence in their abilities to think critically and independently. 

Each year, Hewitt students collaborate on scene-writing projects with Rattlestick Playwrights' Theater, then experience what it means to bring a script to life as professional actors perform their work. Designed to encourage students to think deeply about their own sense of purpose, these annual playwriting projects give middle schoolers the chance to immerse themselves in themes and ideas of personal, social, and global relevance.

Hewitt's seventh and eighth grade Shakespeare Workshop offers a unique opportunity for small but mighty groups of young actors to gain confidence by experiencing all the steps necessary to give life to the Bard's 400 year old plays. The students wrestle with the meanings of the texts, but even more importantly they wrestle with a deeper understanding of metaphors present in Shakespeare's writing.

This April, the Hewitt community gathered to celebrate the opening night of our student-curated art exhibition, Diversity and Identity: The Pieces of Your Puzzle. From thoughtful self-portraits to an interactive world map to a school-wide collaborative mural, each work of art spoke to the exhibition’s theme, recognizing the beauty of the Hewitt community’s diverse perspectives and experiences. 

This October, three upper school Graphic Design students attended the 12th annual Teen Design Fair, where they caught the attention of graphic designers from Sesame Workshop. 

Faculty member Elise Figa presented at an August workshop for fellow music educators hosted by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA).

From the first day of rehearsals the cast of "The Cripple of Inishmaan" jumped at the chance to take on the challenges posed by this complex text.