Unpacking Polyfest

Following the winter play, the student-organized festival is the last opportunity of the year for theater enthusiasts to display their talents and celebrate their peers’ work.

By Siegfried Liu ’27

As the winter production of Man of La Mancha came to an end in March, some actors shed tears at the realization that their theater careers at GFS were coming to an end. However, there is one last chance for Upper School theatrical performers to speak their truths in front of a home audience. The Poley Festival, known more familiarly as Poley Fest, is an event dedicated to providing students with the opportunity to present their original, performative works to the community. This year’s event, which ran from May 13-17 in Yarnall Auditorium, featured student works that included scripts, films, theater performances, and more.

On the first day of the festival, Siegfried Liu ’27 presented her new play, Untitled, in the fashion of a table read. Around 20 students and faculty members took part in the reading and provided feedback on the piece. Untitled takes place in the context of Greek mythology, exploring the idea of hubris—excessive pride. The project was inspired by last year’s production of Island of the Undead, by theatre teacher Geo O'Donnell, who advised Liu on the writing of Untitled alongside classics teacher Maggie Sawyer.

The second day featured performances and presentations by Upper School theater classes. Students from the Scriptwriting Workshop, Text & Performance, Modern Dance, and Scenic & Costume Design courses displayed their theatrical designs. Peter Fisher ’27, an audience member, thought that “the acting was top notch” for The Boor—the showcase of Text & Performance—and that Ryan Stumacher ’25’s stage reading was funny and “so absurd.” An appearance by the Improv Club also brought joy to the crowd.

Film Night marked the third day of Poley Fest, which showcased the productions of works from the Filmmaking I, II, and III classes. The night began with works exploring the use of primary colors, narratives, and genres. After a brief intermission, the audience watched Vitality Lo Mein, the senior film about two friends named Fredrick and Georgie, played by Sebastian Rivella ’27 and Siegfried Liu ’27, respectively. On their road to fame, Georgie develops feelings for Fredrick and confesses his love. In the end, the two friends join in a happy relationship. The audience found the film delightful, cheering and laughing throughout. “I thought it was so sweet,” Fisher shared. “The plot was walking the line between just absurd enough to be funny, without being painful to watch.” He also loved the teacher’s involvement in the film. Charlotte Berman ’25, Lyla Conley ’25, Brody Park ’25, and Ryan Stumacher ’25 all produced the film, supported by advanced filmmaking teacher Andre Robert Lee. Lee attributes the success of the film to “the collaboration across all levels,” and congratulated the students in his class: “I’m super proud of the Film III class for pulling this off and really grateful for all the people who decided to take part.”

The final day of Poley Fest included a showcase of “theatrical events,” as described by Jake Miller, the chair of the theatre department. Directed by Coralie Lyford ’25, the cast performed A Verbatim Devised Play, exploring the central question, “When was the first time you felt different?” The script for their piece came from interviews they conducted with actors in the play. Lani Okewole ’25 examined the meaning of childhood and optimism in times of struggle through an animated short, Can Can, set against the backdrop of an apocalypse, with the help of four other artists. Who’s Watching?! (on ICU) was performed by Desmond Jones ’25, who experimented with the importance of an audience in theater. The climax of his performance utilized a camera with live feedback from the audience. The festival closed with Tell It Slant: A Prose Play About Poetry by Campbell McCormack ’25, which depicted the same sequence of events told from the perspectives of Thomas Wentworth Higginson (played by Stumacher), Emily Dickinson (played by Zoe Levenstien ’26), and Susan Huntington Gilbert Dickinson (played by Ellie Biron ’27). The play explored how angle influences the perception of truth. “It was interesting to see how differently everybody made it,” said Fisher.

Participating in Poley Fest has a different meaning for students new to performing and those who are more accustomed to main-stage productions. As an actor in Lyford’s production, Fisher believes that the festival “is a chance to be something more interesting. ... It’s a little bit more freeing and more exciting to be a part of whatever the seniors envision.” 

Lee also highlights the importance of the festival. “We are honoring an ancestor who wanted us to be in that space, that actual night, and do what we’re doing all week: watching art created by students and celebrating with the community.”