HRA alumna Hannah Mead ’25 (center) with the cast of her play Echoes of Courage at the Virginia Theatre Association Conference
On October 22, Hampton Roads Academy’s theatre students presented a moving production of the play Echoes of Courage at the Virginia Theatre Association’s One-Act Festival in Norfolk. Competing against 33 other high school companies from across the Commonwealth, the Navigator thespians did not simply deliver a strong performance. They also had the honor of presenting the public debut of a work written by a recent HRA alumna, Hannah Mead ’25.
Conceived and initially performed at HRA as Mead’s senior-year independent study project, Echoes of Courage draws on the playwright’s personal experience as an Upper School student. The one-act play, centering on high school sophomore DJ, explores the themes of challenging teenage relationships and the difficult work of finding one’s own voice, subject matter that resonated with the cast of ninth through twelfth graders.
In the lead role of DJ, freshman Mckayla Pacheco ’30 faces a bully portrayed by sophomore Noel Lubbers ’29
Prior to their performance at the One-Act Festival, the students presented Mead’s play on their home stage from October 16 through 18. A dual production, this run of shows also featured Ruben Carbajal’s short comedy Some Assembly Required, discovered and directed by junior Logan Jones ’28. Aspiring to direct professionally in the future, Jones also assisted Director of Theatre Kate Goddin in staging Echoes at HRA and at the festival the following weekend. In Norfolk, Echoes reached a wider audience than ever before, including students, theatrical directors, and experienced guest judges from all over the state.
“When I was writing this play, I never intended for it to be something I kept to myself. I wanted people to meet DJ and the other characters,” said Mead, currently a sophomore at Christopher Newport University. “Through her story, I hoped others would understand what the average girl goes through: the pressure, the friendships, the heartbreaks, the insecurities, and the moments that shape who we become.”
“Seeing people connect with her feels incredible,” she added, “because it means the message landed exactly where I hoped it would.”
A “Recognizable Experience”: Mead’s Echoes of Courage
Mead is an experienced dance instructor as well as a playwright
Mead’s play is a testament to the wealth of opportunities HRA offers in the arts. As a senior, the talented and ambitious Navigator not only wrote Echoes, but also cast her peers, designed the set and lighting, and served as both stage manager and director for the original production in May 2025. This fall, the play continued to allow HRA’s students to express themselves on stage, both at the Academy and in the regional community, while telling a story that is deeply personal for its author.
“In many ways, DJ was me,” Mead said. “She faces everything a teenage girl is expected to confront: bullies, crushes, best friends, and shifting friendships,” all leading up to a twist of an ending that reframes everything the audience has seen.
Mead’s focus on universal emotions and relationship dynamics made the play an ideal fit for its latest Upper School cast. As Goddin explained, “it’s important for them to do shows where they can find some recognizable experience in it—something they can relate to and understand. It helps them to create really meaningful characters,” especially in the “smaller” and “quieter” context of a one-act play, affording students the space to hone their acting skills through a deep interrogation of the motivations of the individuals they portray.
Mead directs the original cast of Echoes in May 2025
Through this work, cast members found echoes of themselves in each of Mead’s characters. Ninth grader Mckayla Pacheco ’30, playing above her age as the protagonist of the show, remarked that DJ’s struggles with feelings of shyness and nervousness resonated with her, even if exploring the character’s explosive anger was a fun departure from her own personality. “I am very grateful to be trusted in playing this role,” said the freshman, who has appeared on stage at HRA since the fourth grade and has now acted under Goddin’s direction for an incredible five years.
“To me, the most important theme of the show is finding out who you are when you have to stand on your own two feet,” said Lily Doan ’28, who portrayed Anna, DJ’s sarcastic but supportive older sister and the narrator of the play. The junior, who helped HRA win the award for Best Musical Performance at the One-Act Festival last October as part of the technical crew for the musical The Anxiety Project, noted that DJ’s journey in Echoes “mirror[s] the gradual gaining of independence that we experience in Upper School.”
According to senior Ryan Wartell ’27, who played the comic relief character Martin, Mead’s emphasis on “learning how and when to speak up” perfectly complements HRA’s yearly theme of resilience. “So often are young people struggling because they are afraid of speaking up or do not know how,” Wartell observed. As the title of the play suggests, advocating for oneself is an act of courage—one that helps young people learn how to navigate challenging situations with confidence.
Senior Ryan Wartell ’27 leans into his comedic role alongside his castmate, sophomore Moira Noble ’29
An Artistic Legacy and a Creative Foundation
The stars of Echoes considered it a privilege to bring Mead’s profoundly meaningful story to life and carry on their fellow Navigator’s artistic legacy.
Though most of the original 2025 cast has now graduated, many students still remember the HRA premiere. “I actually saw Echoes of Courage when Hannah Mead did it for her senior project,” Doan recalled. “It’s cool to me to be in a show that was not only written by an HRA alum, but was also performed by my recently graduated friends.”
For some, this personal connection to the material underscored artistic possibilities that had previously seemed remote. As Wartell explained, “Performing a script written by an HRA student that I know feels really inspiring to me as something that shows first-hand the results of hard work and shows me, a fellow writer, that my work can be recognized.”
Creating opportunities for the next generation of Navigator thespians: Pacheco and Mireya King ’28 find their voices on stage as they bring Mead’s deeply meaningful writing to life
Mead herself was similarly encouraged when she saw her former peers perform her work beyond the walls of HRA. Currently studying marketing at CNU with the goal of following in her mother’s footsteps as the owner of a youth dance studio, her sights remain set on a career in the arts. Still passionate about storytelling, she has chosen to minor in writing and build on the foundation she laid at HRA with Echoes.
“My long‑term dream is to publish this play, along with the many other pieces I hope to create, and share my work with a wider audience,” she said.
With HRA’s successful production of Echoes of Courage this fall, the budding playwright is off to a promising start. Having experienced the young alumna’s impact on stage at the Academy and in Norfolk, Doan commented, “It really just showed me how much theatre can connect you to your larger community.”
At the Virginia Theatre Association’s One-Act Festival, Mead’s authorial voice ignited the imaginations of a new cast and a new audience—undoubtedly the first of many she will reach beyond HRA.
