In late February, a group of Santa Catalina School students enjoyed a theatre arts trip to New York City. They saw Broadway shows, visited museums, and soaked up all that the city has to offer in the arts. Below is a reflection by one of the trip’s participants, Anna ’25.
During Winter Break, I had the pleasure of attending the school’s performing arts trip to New York City. This trip allowed me to experience a whole new side of the city that I never would have fully found on my own.
In the seven days that we stayed in New York, each student saw nine productions; I saw seven Broadway shows, an opera at the Metropolitan Opera House, and an Off-Broadway production, Titanique, featuring Catalina alumna Cayleigh Capaldi ’18. Even with our busy and exciting itinerary, I never found myself needing a break. In the mornings, we would often venture to different coffee and pastry shops, and in the evenings, we explored different cuisines and restaurants.
When I first signed up for the trip, I thought it was solely to watch Broadway productions. However, we also partook in many different activities, including an aerial silks class, visits to a well-known drama book store, The Museum of Broadway, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and much more!
One of my favorite parts of the trip was being able to stay after a production and go to what is called the stage door. Here I was able to meet cast members, including one of my favorite actors, Grant Gustin (Water for Elephants)! Going to the stage door and experiencing the excitement after these wonderful shows are memories that will stay with me far beyond my time at Catalina.
As a result of our teachers and chaperones being so knowledgeable and experienced in the theatre arts field, I was able to learn both valuable and fun information that I am truly grateful for. Before this trip, it was difficult for me to envision a future in theatre arts. I hadn't the slightest idea of what went beyond a high school theatre production. However, after watching and interacting with a whole community of people who explore this passion as a full-time job, it has made what I thought impossible seem a lot more reachable. This experience inspired me to imagine myself doing theatre outside of Catalina and helped bring to light a dream I didn’t even know I had. I am super grateful to have had this opportunity and for our amazing and caring chaperones who made the trip as amazing as it was!