Full Circle: Olivia Bernabe ’15 Returns as Artist in Residence

As a student at St. Mary’s, Olivia Bernabe ’15 remembers sitting in chapel, listening to alumna and opera singer Morgan Beckford ’06 share about her career.

“I hope I make it far enough in my career so that one day I will have something to offer the students,” Olivia recalls thinking.

In February, that dream came full circle. St. Mary’s welcomed Olivia, now a Brooklyn-based theatre artist and professional puppeteer, as this year’s Louise T. Archer ’40 Artist in Residence.

The Louise T. Archer Artist in Residence was made possible by the generosity of alumna Louise T. Archer ‘40, who left a bequest to the School, and her daughters, Nell Archer ’79 and Louise Archer Slater ’67. The residency brings a nationally recognized artist to St. Mary’s every year and is facilitated by Jenny Madden, Director of Auxiliary Programs.

Olivia stepped back into the rhythms of the school that first nurtured her creativity: leading workshops, speaking in chapel, hosting a fireside chat, and guiding second graders through a hands-on puppet-making experience.

“Being able to speak with current students and share with them about my work as an actor and puppeteer has been the best part of my return,” Olivia said. “I love the way the Lower Schoolers and Early Childhood little ones light up when I have a puppet on my hand. It’s just as magical for them as it is for me!”

The week included three chapel presentations where Olivia shared her professional journey from St. Mary’s to New York stages. She also hosted a fireside chat with Upper School students, offering an honest look at building a creative career.

Olivia shared, “The question of ‘Do I have what it takes?’ still creeps up from time to time. But through writing this chapel speech, I have realized that ‘having what it takes’ is not strictly about talent, but the commitment I have made to myself in pursuit of what I love.”

The Work Behind the Wonder

For second graders, the experience was especially memorable. Olivia taught them about the art and mechanics of puppetry before leading a Makerspace project where each girl designed and created her own puppet. Students learned not only how to bring their creations to life, but also what happens behind the scenes.

“I loved showing them video clips of what happens backstage,” Olivia shared. “I hope they enjoyed getting a sneak peek behind the curtain.”

While many associate puppetry with childhood delight, Olivia hopes students will better understand the discipline and athleticism behind the art form.

"I wish people understood how athletic puppetry is,” she explained. “It’s a very physically demanding job that requires stamina, breath control, and dexterity. Similar to dancers and other athletes, we stretch and warm up before we perform.”

Olivia also emphasized the collaborative nature of the craft. “Puppetry is a team sport. Sometimes there are two or more people manipulating the same puppet. We have to work together and match each other’s movements and energy so it looks like the puppet is one seamless creature.”

From St. Mary’s to the National Stage

Since graduating from St. Mary’s, Olivia has built an impressive career in theatre and puppetry. After training at Sarah Lawrence College, she worked on developmental puppetry projects at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, HERE Arts Center, and Dixon Place. Her Off-Broadway debut came in 2023 with The Eric Carle Story Show, followed by Rockefeller Productions’ 10th anniversary production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show at The Duke Theater in Times Square.

In the summer of 2025, Olivia performed as the Special Guest Star, the only human role, in Sesame Street: The Musical at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Olivia appeared as Anne/Anita in the acclaimed satirical musical Slam Frank, named one of the “Best Comedies of 2025” by The New York Times. She is currently recording the cast album and will reprise her role later this year.

Olivia hopes this visit to St. Mary’s left different but equally meaningful impressions on students across campus.

“I hope they feel inspired to pursue what they love; to know that they have what it takes to make it in a highly competitive field; and that kindness and collaboration will take you farther than talent alone,” she said.