Maranatha Drama Department Invited to Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Maranatha’s Fall 2024 Production of Murder on the Orient Express: (L to R) Zalan Volkan-Kacso, Anaya Quinonez, Maddy Smith, Mia Castro, Jack Scheidler, Lucy Crabb, Isa Bucknam, Michayla Cervantes, Harout Mitilian, Madison Candib (on ground)

The spotlight is about to shine a little brighter on Maranatha High School’s drama program.

The school has been invited to perform at the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland in August 2027, a distinction that places Maranatha’s student performers among a select group of young artists chosen to participate in one of the world’s premier performing arts events. The festival serves as a global showcase for theater, music, dance, comedy, and other creative disciplines, attracting performers and audiences from around the world.

The invitation follows years of growth and achievement within Maranatha’s theater program under the leadership of Laurel Peabody, whose students have become known not only for their performances but also for the culture they have built together.

According to festival organizers, the invitation was extended in recognition of the program’s talent, direction, production quality, and unique sense of community.

“Our students have created a culture here at Maranatha where they champion each other,” said Peabody. “They take their work seriously, they want to be excellent, but they also know they aren’t here trying to prove their worth.”

Before taking the international stage in Edinburgh, Maranatha audiences will have the opportunity to see the department’s latest production, The Light Burns Blue, this November. The play, written by Silva Semerciyan, tells the fascinating true story of two young girls in early twentieth-century England whose photographs of supposed fairies captivated the public and even drew the attention of famed author Arthur Conan Doyle. The story explores the enduring tension between truth, imagination, and the human need for hope during difficult times.

For Maranatha students, the production represents more than another theatrical performance. It is part of an artistic journey that will culminate on one of the world’s most celebrated stages, offering invaluable opportunities to collaborate, learn and perform before an international audience.

As excitement builds for the 2027 trip, school administrators, students and families are already looking ahead to what the invitation means for the future of the program. Few high school theater departments receive the opportunity to perform at the Fringe Festival, making the honor a significant milestone for both the school and the broader Pasadena community.

The Light Burns Blue will be presented in three performances on Nov. 13 and 14. Additional information is available at www.maranathahighschool.org/upcomingshows.

For the students preparing to step onto the stage this fall, Edinburgh may still be nearly a year away. But the invitation has already affirmed what many in the community have long believed: the Maranatha Drama Department is a program on the rise.

Maranatha High School, 169 S. St. John Avenue, Pasadena, (626) 817-4000 or visit www.maranathahighschool.org.