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On April 9, 2003, the school dedicated a new Chapel/Performing Arts Center on the Upper School campus. This 20,000 square foot brick building, that includes a signature bell tower with a cross reaching 55 feet at its peak, is the spiritual center of the school, and a wonderful showcase for performing arts students. It comfortably seats 500 people.

The chapel includes a special prayer room located in the bell tower, which is named in memory of The Reverend Emmett H. Hoy, Jr., D.D., headmaster of St. Stephen's School from 1955 to 1975. The prayer room includes hand-painted scripture and a cross by Alexandria illustrator, Ashley Spencer. The worship area features a beautiful stained glass window highlighted by a cross of carved maple.

The building also offers a performance space that is professional, extremely flexible, inspires creativity, and stretches our students' talents from both the acting and the technical production side. A "green room" equipped with video and audio capability, large dressing rooms, practice rooms, a band room, and plenty of storage are among the many features that make the space enjoyable for our students and faculty.

The full-sized stage and side wings are equipped with complete theater rigging, a full cat-walk, portable lighting tracks, an elevated control booth, and a scene shop. There are high-tech theater sound and lighting systems, including a programmable dimming system for the house lights and an intercom system connecting back-of house spaces. The theater has complete blackout capability to darken the space during daylight hours.

The Chapel/Performing Arts Center is a symbol of St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School's commitment to our mission in creating a Christian environment in which each student can grow in mind, body and spirit.
"The Chapel/Performing Arts Center fulfills our mission and affirms who we are and our foundation as an Episcopal Church School."
– Rita Meyer, Former Chair of the SSSAS Board of Governors

"The Chapel will be the spiritual center of our school, a place to feel peaceful, connected, comforted and renewed."
– Joan Holden, Head of School

"The new space is "professional, extremely flexible, will inspire creativity, has great potential for encouraging emotional connections with the audience and will stretch our students' talents from both the acting and the technical production side."
– Jim Marvin, Performing Arts Chair