Arts Events | Student Experience | Princeton Friends School

The Arts

Spring Musical

The Princeton Friends musical theater program reflects the same Quaker and progressive values that shape every part of our learning community. Since 2007, our productions have prioritized kindness, inclusion, and growth—creating a space where every student can shine. Theater at Princeton Friends is intentionally non-competitive and community-centered, guided by the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality/equity, and stewardship.

Performing outdoors on our playground structure brings an added layer of magic to each show, connecting students and audiences to nature and to one another. Families gather on the lawn with snacks and blankets, adding to the supportive and community-centered atmosphere.

Process Over Perfection

From the very beginning—choosing the show, casting, and rehearsals—our theater program is designed to uplift students and foster connection across age groups.

Auditions happen in a supportive group setting where students encourage each other, and casting is thoughtfully done to highlight as many students as possible, with a special focus on honoring our middle school students. Younger students grow into their roles over time, and every student is held in the Light throughout the process by the production and support team.

All students who wish to participate in the spring musical–whether on stage or off–are included.

More Than a Performance

Our annual productions connect deeply with curricular and social justice themes, asking questions like:

Does this story reflect our values and bring joyful, empowering narratives to the stage?
How can it deepen understanding of the Quaker testimonies?
What Central Study connections can we explore?

Our final performance tradition, where 8th graders are honored with personal reflections from the directors, is a meaningful culmination of their journey.

It’s a beautiful reminder that here, theater is not about perfection—it’s about confidence, creativity, connection, and growing into who you are.

Poetry Season

Since the founding of our school in 1987, Poetry Season has reflected our deep commitment to nurturing students as writers, speakers, and expressive individuals. This cherished tradition provides an in-depth, intentionally scaffolded experience that grows with students year after year—building their confidence, deepening their understanding of poetic form, and strengthening both critical self-expression and public speaking skills. Students in preschool through fifth grade welcome a variety of visiting poets into their English classes while middle schoolers engage in a full-day, in-house Poetry Festival.

Poetry Season culminates in Poetry Night, the joyful celebration of this process for 1st through 8th grade students. Each child is invited to share their work in a supportive, community-centered event where the journey matters just as much as the final piece. Poetry Night is designed to center students’ expression and efforts over their performance, supporting each young poet’s individual growth. For our youngest poets, sometimes entering the room is a milestone worth celebrating!

Poetry Season is a vibrant expression of our educational values

Voice and identity: Poetry helps students articulate emotions and perspectives that prose often cannot capture.
Art in action: Meeting working poets helps students see poetry as relevant, alive, and beyond the classroom.
Representation and diversity: Visiting poets bring a wide range of lived experiences, broadening the literary lens.
Growth over performance: The focus is always on student growth—whether crafting a few lines or bravely sharing their work aloud.

Being able to be in an environment where creativity is one of the central focuses–like through Poetry Season–allowed me to develop some of the things that are still supporting me in my career right now.

Jonah Tolchin, Class of 2006

Storytelling Season

Storytelling Season is a beloved tradition that brings together creativity, community, and the timeless power of oral storytelling.

To kick off the season, students selected a story to tell after exploring a wide range of folktales from around the world. Then, they complete the first major step in the storytelling process: the Six Boxes assignment.

A PFS favorite, this tradition invites students to sketch their story in six illustrated parts, helping them begin to internalize the plot, characters, and pacing of their tale—experiencing firsthand the distinction between memorizing and learning a story. Once students have chosen and visualized their stories, it’s time to practice. Whether they’re telling their story to a family member, a pet, or even “to the wall,” speaking aloud is key. Every student finds their own rhythm—and the more they practice, the more confident and expressive they become. Storytelling Practice Groups, small, mixed-age groups led by 8th grade facilitators, are also a hallmark of the season.

These peer-led sessions are designed to foster encouragement, thoughtful feedback, and supportive rehearsal. All this practice culminates in Storytelling Festival, an evening where students from third through eighth grade tell their stories to their families in small mixed-age groupings.

Why Storytelling Matters
Storytelling isn’t just fun—it’s foundational. This work helps students strengthen essential skills in public speaking, listening, comprehension, and empathy. It connects us to universal themes and ideas that span cultures and generations, and it gives students the opportunity to become confident communicators in a deeply human way. “At PFS, I learned the art of speaking up in your own voice and standing up for yourself respectfully. Public speaking happened all the time at PFS and I cherish that. In my work, I regularly use the skills I built through programs like storytelling night. Not a lot of schools do that.” Dr. Zonia Rueda, Class of 2011 “Princeton Friends’ focus on creative writing helped shape my storytelling activities while music and theater played key roles in my artistic growth.” Lumi Yeh Costa, Class of 2011

Why Storytelling Matters

Storytelling isn’t just fun—it’s foundational. This work helps students strengthen essential skills in public speaking, listening, comprehension, and empathy. It connects us to universal themes and ideas that span cultures and generations, and it gives students the opportunity to become confident communicators in a deeply human way.

“At PFS, I learned the art of speaking up in your own voice and standing up for yourself respectfully. Public speaking happened all the time at PFS and I cherish that. In my work, I regularly use the skills I built through programs like storytelling night. Not a lot of schools do that.” Dr. Zonia Rueda, Class of 2011

“Princeton Friends’ focus on creative writing helped shape my storytelling activities while music and theater played key roles in my artistic growth.”

Lumi Yeh Costa, Class of 2011

Musical Performances

Music is a vibrant part of life at Princeton Friends School. Throughout the year, our students share their talents in chorus, chimes, and orchestra, enriching key school events like Arts in Motion, Storytelling, Poetry Night, and Moving On.

These performances showcase not only musical skills but also the confidence, creativity, and community spirit that thrive here. Whether on stage or behind the scenes, music brings us together and celebrates the unique voices of every student.

Fine Arts Shows

The arts flourish at Princeton Friends School, bringing creativity and expression to life throughout the year. Each winter, our Arts Gallery showcases student work during conferences, offering families a chance to celebrate their children’s artistic growth and creativity.

Springtime brings the beloved Arts in Motion—a spectacular, school-wide installation that transforms classrooms, hallways, our garden, and even the woods into immersive spaces filled with art, sculpture, and collaborative projects. This vibrant event invites the entire community to explore and engage with creativity in every corner of campus.

For our older students, we also offer opportunities to participate in select off-campus arts events, where they can exhibit their work, collaborate with peers, and experience the broader arts community beyond school walls.

Through these experiences, students deepen their artistic skills, discover new modes of expression, and connect their creativity with the world around them.