FrightFEST Brings a Haunting Blend of Art, Film, and Dance to Upper School

St. Margaret’s visual arts and performing arts students dazzled the crowd during FrightFEST, an annual Halloween-inspired arts showcase that took place in the Darcy Rice Center for the Arts. FrightFEST transformed the Upper School campus into a showcase of creativity and spine-chilling imagination last week, featuring performances, films, art, and writing that explored the eerie and the uncanny.

The evening opened with a performance of Graveyard Shift, by St. Margaret’s Orchestra, performed in costume. That was followed by a striking performance by the Tartan Dance Company, whose piece Clown Asylum blended theatrical movement and unsettling imagery to set the tone for the night. Attendees were also treated to a gallery of creepy and captivating collections of visual art curated by teachers Joe Hoff and Mary Mayer-Grubb.

Upper School cinematic arts students screened a series of original short films. Titles included Monitored by Timothy Lindenfelser, Dentist Office by Ani Alyanakian, and Intrusion by Sean Gunar. The films drew praise for their inventive storytelling, a testament to the students’ growing expertise in visual storytelling.

In the gallery, visitors wandered through Doorways of Ominous Portent, of the photography exhibit. Alongside the student work, Upper School faculty members contributed a collection of ghostly paintings, continuing a FrightFEST tradition of teacher participation.

The evening’s celebration of the written word featured Upper School student Stella Ye, who received top honors in the creative writing competition for her story Head Count which was brought to life in a reading by Katie DeShan, Middle School theater teacher and director.

Winners of the FrightFEST contests for Best Short Story, Best Photography, and Best Film will be announced at Upper School Convo on November 3. For more information, view films and performances from FrightFEST visit the following link: click here.