A new school year is upon us, and so is a new arts schedule, complete with exciting and unique performances, events, and concerts. The 2025-2026 school year started off with the upper school play This Girl…, written by Finegan Kruckemeyer. The show was performed September 18th. The play followed the story of three sisters who were abandoned in the woods by their father, and documented how each of them forged their own paths. It was directed by Upper School theater educator Jim Short, and it starred Stella Horn 27’, Sarah Lemmo 28’ and Kelsey Lewis 26’ as the three sisters. The mainstage US play for this year will be Thorntown Wilder’s renowned play Our Town, which will be followed by the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. As for middle school, the musical is A Year with Frog and Toad the Musical. The 24 Hour Play Festival will take place in April 2026. During the Festival, students have 24 hours to write, cast, direct and tech short and often humorous plays. This year the Annual Torrey Film Festival celebrates its 14th anniversary. During this exciting program, CD students showcase films that they created during the final months of school. This event will take place on March 23rd. Also in March, there will be an arts show that will exhibit the work of CD’s visual arts students that will end on March 25th, 2026.
The 2025-2026 school year will be full of band, orchestra and choir performances from all three divisions. Most choir, orchestra, and band performances will coincide with holidays and holiday breaks. It is too early to say what the repertoire of the instrumental concerts will be, but it will most likely be a mix of classical music and more modern pop pieces. The choir concerts will include music of the 20th-21st centuries. Although most concerts are separated by division, there are chances to see combined performances, as is the case for the All School Winter Choral Concert. This concert will take place December 16th, at the Conrad in La Jolla. There will also be other performances in La Jolla during the holiday season, such as a performance by the Madrigals at La Valencia, and a band and choir performance at La Jolla’s annual Christmas Parade. The final show of this school year will be the MS and US Pop Rock Concerts.
Attending student-led performances, events, and shows such as the 24 Hour Play Festival and the Torrey Film Festival are fun and great ways to support the theater and arts community here at LJCDS.
