When SBS Alumna Kenna Cribb graduated from StoneBridge in 2005, she never anticipated being a teacher/director.
“I was basically right out of high school and in college classes when I was asked to take over directing the theater program at StoneBridge. By being a prefect at StoneBridge, and empowered by teachers to lead, I was able to believe I could step into this role at such a young age,” she said.
Cribb graduated from Regent University in 2010 with a degree in communication and theater. Today, as StoneBridge’s Drama Director, Cribb oversees theater productions, produces the student film festival, and directs the spring musical and other projects like theater camps. Past musicals have included Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast. This year’s upcoming production of Mary Poppins has been one of the most challenging production-wise she’s experienced. The musical runs at StoneBridge March 10-12.
Cribb entered StoneBridge in the seventh grade, coming from public school. She has many fond memories of her time at the school, in particular senior trip and the retreats at Rockbridge, Virginia, where she got to know fellow students on a deeper level.
“I was very shy and nervous,” she recalled feeling when she first started at StoneBridge. “But several students quickly reached out to help me feel welcome. The opportunity to form friendships in a small, Christ-centered community is one of the things I loved about the school.”
She also credits her mentor, Mme. Marianne Moore, with shaping her into the woman she is now. She firmly believes her experience at the school helped prepare her for her current role.
“The academics were rigorous,” Cribb said. “But wherever God led me, I felt prepared. Most people think of college and being able to write papers, but I never anticipated having to write so much as a director. The amount of writing I did at StoneBridge – essays, papers, senior thesis – prepared me for things I never imagined.”
In fact, Kenna has written many scripts and screenplays for the student theater camps, films, and even several major productions during the school year.
“StoneBridge equipped me to feel comfortable writing, more so than even most of my college experiences,” she noted.
Cribb said she believes being able to hold fast to her faith in Christ and to really listen, understand, care, and bridge the gaps with others are the keys to real connections that spark change.
“As a follower of Jesus, I get the privilege of walking alongside students and performers as they wrestle with sometimes very difficult concepts that come up in the stories,”
“As a follower of Jesus, I get the privilege of walking alongside students and performers as they wrestle with sometimes very difficult concepts that come up in the stories,” she explained. “In a culture that is so polarized, learning how to genuinely empathize is perhaps one of the most incredible ways we can bring God’s kingdom to earth.”
“It is humbling and must be intentional, and we hope a reflection of our own Savior who humbled himself to be able to bridge the divide between us in our brokenness and God,” she added.
Most of the students Cribb works with at StoneBridge and in summer theater camps come from Christian homes. But for many, their faith has been their parents, not their own yet.
“My hope is that in doing something on the surface that is fun and exciting, those involved get to really wrestle with their faith in Christ, see His love in action through others, and experience how His goodness and grace can change their own lives,” she said. “The decision to believe and walk with Jesus isn’t a one-time thing. It is a choice you have to make every day, every moment.”
While most of her spare time is spent prepping for school shows, Cribb also enjoys tennis, spending time with her dog, River, and reading. She is also the media manager at Greenbrier Church in Chesapeake, where she runs events, print media, and social media.
