Last week, over the course of five sold out shows, the cast and crew of Frozen melted hearts with their talent and creativity, delivering a show that was “snow” good. As award-winning Upper School Theatre Director Jenny Goodfellow stated in the program message, “This production of ‘Frozen’ is a reflection of the way the Country Day community shows up—for our students, for the arts, and for one another.”
Through Mrs. Goodfellow’s leadership, building the world of Arendelle reflected the heart of theatre education: learning through collaboration, mentorship, and shared creation. The cast, crew, and collaborators included nearly 75 students, teachers, parent volunteers, and professional artists.
Particularly enchanting was a partnership with Grey Seal Puppets for the creation of Olaf (the snowman) and Sven (the reindeer). In addition to giving students a window into large-scale theatrical production, Grey Seal Puppets taught our students how these characters move, breathe, and connect with an audience to become not just props, but storytellers.
Students also benefited from working with Lauren Nicole Chapman, who is widely recognized for her seven-year engagement with Frozen, first in the original Broadway production, then as Princess Anna in the North American tour. During a special workshop, she offered students firsthand insight into professional storytelling, craft, and career pathways in musical theatre.
Especially meaningful were the numerous ways Country Day students played a vital role behind the scenes. The show included 200 costumes, with those for young Anna and Elsa designed and constructed by sophomore Mary Louise Preslar. Senior Lucas Pearce collaborated with the 3-D Printing Club to print custom props, like the orb used in the coronation scene.
Bucs for Life
![]()
Our powerful lifelong alumni community was also an unmistakable presence for our theatre students. First, alumna Kristen Anderson-Lopez ’90, along with her husband Robert is the Oscar and Grammy-winning songwriter for Frozen. From her office in New York City, she delivered a special message of encouragement to our students, reminding them that theatre is about supporting one another, taking risks, and leading with empathy. Hearing that message from someone whose work has shaped this very story, on the eve of opening night, was a full-circle Bucs for Life moment.
As was the video advice and well wishes from recent theatre alumni, like this one from Lance Toppin ’23, who is pursuing musical theatre at Penn State. While many theatre students are earning degrees outside the arts in college, they all remember the lessons in teamwork, collaboration, perseverance, and humility they learned through theatre, along with the feelings of camaraderie, pride, and joy.