Our goal is for students to be accomplished generalists—to experience the enrichment and delight that arise from creative involvement and participation.

Drama Productions at Roxbury Latin

The Roxbury Latin Dramatics department stages three faculty-directed productions each year. Some years also features a student-directed production.:

  • Senior Play: Open to boys in Classes I-III (with girls from neighboring schools)
  • Junior Play: Open to boys in Classes IV-VI (with girls from neighboring schools)
  • Musical: Open to boys in Classes I-IV (with girls from neighboring schools)
  • Student Production: In some years, based on interest and ability, a senior will initiate and direct a full-length production in the spring.

The centerpiece of the Roxbury Latin dramatics program is the 300-seat Robert P. and Salua J.A. Smith Theater, a well-appointed facility with unobstructed sight lines, fly and trap capabilities, an optional orchestra pit and excellent acoustics for student voices. All onstage roles and most of the technical work—set design and construction, lighting, and sound—in all productions are performed by students.

In 2022-2023 the Senior Play was Love and Information by Caryl Churchill, followed by the Junior Play The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (adapted for the stage by Rick Cummings and John Scoullar). Roxbury Latin boys took part in a production of Mamma Mia! at the Winsor School during the winter of 2023. In the year prior, RL presented productions of Frankenstein by Nick Dear, followed by the musical Catch Me If You Can in the winter of 2022. The Junior Play in the spring of 2022 was an original comedy by faculty member Mike Pojman—Chalk is Cheap—honoring the 375th anniversary of the founding of the school.

Drama Calendar 2023-2024

  • The Play That Goes Wrong: November 9 and 11, 2023

    This year’s Senior Play is The Play That Goes Wrong, by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. The production will take place in the Smith Theater beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 9, and Saturday, November 11, 2023.

  • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: February 23 and 24, 2024

    This year’s Musical is The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, with lyrics by William Finn, book written by Rachel Sheinkin, and conceived by Rebecca Feldman, with additional material by Jay Reiss. The production will take place in the Smith Theater beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 23, and Saturday, February 24, 2024.

  • The Phantom Tollbooth: May 3 and 4, 2024

    This year’s Junior Play is The Phantom Tollbooth by Susan Nanus, based on the book by Norton Juster. The production will take place in the Smith Theater beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, 2024.