More than a dozen staff and students of the Moments Unforgettable Performing Arts Academy & Agency were rehearsing for their upcoming Christmas production one night in October and left the room for about 15 minutes to pray.

When they returned, they discovered their expensive Bose sound system, three iPods and a cellphone had been stolen, though no wallets or purses were taken, arts director Nicole Lam said.

"Everyone’s reactions and responses were amazing! No one was stressed. There was no upsetness or anger or frustration or crying," Lam said. "The response was, ‘OK, what can we do from here?’ They were really concerned for the people who took the items. It blessed my heart to see everyone’s responses."

The school has been rehearsing for a contemporary dramatization of the life of Christ, "HiStory: Of Christmas," and will present performances today and Sunday at Farrington High School’s auditorium.

"Our school’s vision is to impact communities through the arts for the glory of God, and to work with at-risk youth and to provide them with a safe place to learn the arts, character traits and life skills needed for success," Lam said.

The nonprofit academy at 2184 N. King St. was formed by Christian dancer Colleen Nomura a year and a half ago, Lam said. The school encourages walk-ins from the community, and several of the cast members are at-risk youth who have found a positive environment to offset the challenges in their personal lives, Lam said.

Since the burglary, cast members and friends have donated used iPods and a cellphone to replace the stolen ones, and the school has been borrowing sound systems, she said.

More than 90 keiki and other cast members will sing and perform a variety of dance styles — hip-hop, ballet, jazz, hula, Tahitian, breaking and martial arts. Original music is composed by Sarah Paikai, with choreography by Leslea White and Lam.

Performances are at 2 and 6 p.m. today and 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $18 or, with discounts, $12 to $15. For ticket information, visit www.momentsunforgettable.org/history or call 548-1039. Tickets may be ordered through Honolulu Box Office at 550-8457 or www.honoluluboxoffice.com.