Mondays with Mike: Telling a Story That Matters
From Our Theatre Students
Good Tuesday afternoon PCA families,
Welcome to the second installment of this week’s slightly delayed MWM double feature.
What does it take to tell a story that truly matters—and to tell it well? In this episode you will hear directly from our students who participated in the New Hampshire Theatre Festival.
Performing alongside schools from across the state, PCA’s actors and tech team brought a meaningful and complex story to life—while managing acting, design, lighting, and sound under tight constraints.
You will be inspired as you listen and hear what they learned through the process—about people, about teamwork, and about communicating something meaningful to others.
▶ Listen to PCA’s Actors and Tech Team reflect on their Festival experience.
Key Takeaways
- Telling a story well requires careful thought and preparation.
- Students described the work of analyzing characters, understanding relationships, and interpreting meaning—not just performing lines.
- Theatre develops empathy and understanding.
- By stepping into characters facing loss, conflict, and change, students learned to better understand people and the human experience.
- Excellence requires precision and teamwork.
- From acting to lighting to set and costume design, every detail mattered—and success depended on coordination and trust.
- Students learn to adapt under pressure.
- Unexpected challenges—like missing props or tight time constraints—required composure, problem-solving, and teamwork.
- Christian formation shows up through action.
- Students reflected on representing PCA through humility, service, and care for others—even helping students from other schools.
- The arts are a meaningful part of academic formation.
- This work required interpretation, historical awareness, design thinking, and clear communication—all essential academic skills.
This Theatre Festival experience we profiled today is a great example of PCA students growing—not only in skill, but in understanding, discipline, and care for others, all in the context of pressure and a broader community. I was so grateful to be in the audience when they performed–what amazing young people who are already engaging and going in God’s world and impacting it for good.
Thank you for the many ways you support your child and their classmates as they grow in mind, body, and spirit together, all to God’s glory and their good.
Grace and peace,
Mike Runey
Head of School
Portsmouth Christian Academy
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