Roosevelt High School Theatre Department continues to offer the only full time and a half drama program in the Seattle Public Schools, offering eight periods of drama per day, 13 different classes, employing two directors, two private voice teachers, music director, costume shop manager, technical director, electrics and lighting designer. The students of Roosevelt High School Theatre Dept. receive outstanding training in acting, directing, dance, and technical theatre while partnering with prestigious guest teachers and local theatres such as Seattle Children’s and “Book It” Theatre. RHS performers consistently advance to prestigious institutions such as New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan and Yale University. Named one of the top ten high school theatre programs in America in 1996, RHS Theatre has created a world class, internationally recognized model for theatre education. 

 

Alumni of this program are working in professional theatres in Seattle and in regional theatres throughout the country. Before the shutdown, Roosevelt alumni were working on Broadway in Frozen, A Bronx Tale, and Come From Away! We are also thrilled to have had 2012 grad Solea Pfeiffer play the role of Elizabeth Hamilton in the national tour of Hamilton and the new recording of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World!

 

RHS Theatre alumni have also performed on Broadway in Memphis (Tony Winner, Best Musical 2010), The Fantasticks, Curtains, Godspell, Never Gonna Dance, Chicago, Into the Woods, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Oklahoma, The Wild Party, and A Chorus Line, among others; Cirque du Soliel’s KA in Vegas and the Tony Awards; in national tours of 9 to 5, Fosse, Chicago, Sunset Boulevard, Evita, Swing and The Civil War; and throughout Europe including London’s West End in productions of The King and I, Miss Saigon, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, West Side Story and Cats to name a few.

 

Alumni have also found careers in television and film as head writers, directors, and producers for How I Met Your Mother, Will and Grace, and Friends, as well as actors in numerous television commercials and on such shows as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Prodigal Son, Felicity, The Practice and Spin City.

 

Recently, Roosevelt Theatre has taken home several awards from Washington State Thespian Festival, including “Best of Fest” awards for “Everybody” and “Passage” in 2021, “Spring Awakening” in 2018, “Leading Ladies” in 2012, and “White Christmas” in 2010. Other shows recently awarded Double Superiors at State Festival include “The Wolves” in 2019, “Our Town” in 2018 and “Games Afoot” in 2016.