Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center

The Frederick Gunn School Theatre Program will proudly present the Tony Award-winning “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical,” February 19, 20, and 21, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the Tisch Family Auditorium of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center (TPACC). All shows are open to the public. Seating is by general admission. No reservations required.
 

In November, 11 Gunn musicians traveled to Avon High School to audition for the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) Northern Regional Music Festival. Advanced high school musicians from the northwest region of Connecticut auditioned for the prestigious opportunity to be selected for one of five regional ensembles that convene in mid-January to rehearse and perform under the direction of a nationally recognized conductor.
 

Four student-artists have been selected to participate in the 2026 Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition. Meadow Drakeley '26, Melissa Kang '27, Ahram Kim '26, and Cathy Yang '28 will have their original artwork featured in the largest juried student art exhibition in the state. Together, they garnered six Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention awards.
 

The Frederick Gunn School Music Program will present its annual holiday concert, "Wizards in Winter," featuring Chamber Orchestra, Vocal Ensemble, Jazz Band, and special guests on Tuesday, December 16, at 7:15 p.m. in the Tisch Family Auditorium of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center. The performance is open to Gunn students and faculty with a limited number of seats available for family and friends. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is free. 
 

An extensive exhibit of Contemporary African Art opened October 28, 2025 in the Perakos Family Cares Art Gallery and the Richard C. Colton, Jr. '60 Art Wing, featuring more than 75 selected works from The Saidy Collection. The exhibit will remain on view in the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center (TPACC) through January 17, 2026. The gallery is open to the public free of charge. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is available in the Upper Lot off Kirby Road, with a limited number of accessible parking spaces outside of TPACC. Please refer to the Campus Map for details.
 

Original photographs by four Frederick Gunn School students will be featured in the 15th annual Celebration of Young Photographers, sponsored by the Washington-based nonprofit ASAP! Work by Charlie Hutchinson '29, Johnny Bekov '26, Alex Saga '27, and Jenny Wang '26 will be featured in a juried exhibition this Sunday, November 2, from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Donald and Linda Silpe Gallery at the University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford. If you would like to attend the exhibition, admission is free but pre-registration is required.

Register Here
 

The Frederick Gunn School Theatre Program will present Peter and the Starcatcher, a prequel to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, on November 13, 14, and 15 at 7 p.m. in the Tisch Family Auditorium of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center. All shows are open to the public. Admission is free and seating is by general admission.
 

This week, Sharon Playhouse will present the Writers Playground, an annual festival of new, 10-minute plays. Among the seven featured works is a short play titled “Box,” written by Gunn student Blake Baumgartner ’26. A professional actress, Baumgartner started her acting career at a young age and as a first-year student appeared in Gunn Theatre’s 2023 winter musical, Head Over Heels. She guest-starred in the film Love the Coopers, and later in Fosse/Verdon and City on a Hill. She wrote “Box” last spring for a new playwriting course taught by Kent Burnham P’29, Director of Theatre Arts at Gunn.
 

Litchfield Jazz Camp returned to the campus of The Frederick Gunn School in June to begin its 29th year, and this weekend, Gunn will host the 30th annual Litchfield Jazz Festival, which promises an incredible weekend of “can’t miss,” world-class jazz. The partnership between Gunn and Litchfield Performing Arts (LPA), the non-profit organization that produces the camp and festival, began in 2018 and has brought hundreds of talented student musicians, amazing faculty, including multiple Grammy Award-winners, and thousands of jazz fans to Washington, Connecticut.