Visual & Performing Arts

Art on Stiles

In the spring of 2022, the 2nd Annual Arts Festival took place on Stiles Walk. The festival was a celebration of the work of our senior visual and performing artists and also featured the work of our spring Art Special program. There were exceptional live music performances and a wide array of artwork for sale through each artist.

Guitar Show Fourteen Suffield Academy students performed in the 2022 spring guitar show. They worked hard on an extensive set list and made lasting friendships, thrilled to be together onstage without pandemic restrictions. Bradford C. Gooch Music Chair and performing arts department faculty member Tom Gotwals said, “The students put together a very ambitious set list for our spring show and did a fine job of finishing the arrangements.”

Performing Arts Awards 2021-2022

Connecticut Halo Award Winners Young Frankenstein Best Stage Management… Luna Kwon ’23

The Play That Goes Wrong Best Stage Management… Luna Kwon ’23 Best Performance by a Cast in an Ensemble Production Best Comic Female Performance in a Play… Nailah Estrada ’22

Nominations The Play That Goes Wrong Best Play Best Running Crew… Vyom Tiwari ’25, Theo Henle ’23, Claire Mastella ’25, and Jessica Xiao ’24 Best Male Standout Performance in an Ensemble Production… Trent Hieber ’22

Young Frankenstein Best Musical Best Dancing by a Cast in a Musical Best Chorus by a Cast in a Musical Best Performance by a Couple or Dynamic Duo in a Musical… Paige August ’22 & Trent Hieber ’22 Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical… Tyler Cooper ’22 Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Contemporary Musical… Eli Wiener ’22 Stephen Sondheim Award Winner Young Frankenstein Best Supporting Actor… Trent Hieber ’22

Nominations Young Frankenstein Best Choreography… Ally Czerniak Best Direction… Tom Dugan Best Actor… Eli Wiener ’22 Best Musical

Dance Show Suffield’s performing arts department showcased their annual winter dance performance, SADC Live! Sixteen dancers expressed themselves through beautiful and creative movement, with a wide range of styles taking place across the stage.

“Young Frankenstein was the perfect show to welcome our live audiences back into the Jeanice Seaverns Performing Arts Center. It provided non-stop laughs from beginning to end. There was incredible energy in the theater each night. The entire company really enjoyed the experience and it was a pleasure working with them.”

-Tom Dugan, Performing Arts Department Chair

Suffield Academy had two great theater performances in the 2021-2022 academic year. The fall musical was Young Frankenstein, which had the three-show packed-house audiences laughing at every turn. It featured 28 students in the cast and 23 student crew members.

The 2022 spring term was highlighted by The Play that Goes Wrong. The title says it all, as even before the play officially begins things start off on the wrong foot, from a missing dog to a missing CD. The problems escalate throughout the hilarious murder mystery extravaganza written by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer. The play was the final mainstage production for six of Suffield’s graduating seniors: Eli Wiener, Lauren Burton, Trent Hieber, Tyler Cooper, Katya Yurkovskaya, and Nailah Estrada. Also in featuring roles were Sean Wilson ’24, Gabby Diaz ’24, Isabel Rodriguez ’25, Sophie Lawry ’25, and Luna Kwon ’23 as stage manager.