Fordham Prep Launches Devised Theater Course: Theatre of Justice

Fordham Prep has officially introduced Theatrum Justitiae, a new Devised Theater course that combines creativity, collaboration, and social justice. Led by Assistant Director of Campus Ministry for Social Justice Carolyn Wright, the course began on December 10, 2024, and will run after school once a week through the fourth quarter. Building upon the success of last year’s pilot program, Theatrum Justitiae, this academic offering provides students the opportunity to write, produce, and perform an original play focused on themes of justice and Catholic social teaching.

The final performance, scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2025, will serve as the culmination of Fordham Prep’s annual Faith Doing Justice Summit. Two performances—at 3:15pm and 7pm—will be open to the Fordham Prep community and the general public.

“The process is as important as the product,” explained Wright, who functions as faculty director of the program. “Students are deeply involved in every aspect of the production, from acting and writing to set, costume, and prop design.”

The course’s name, Theatrum Justitiae, reflects Fordham Prep’s Jesuit Catholic identity and the rich history of theater for justice within Jesuit education. Historically, Jesuits have used theater as a tool to educate, engage, and amplify the voices of marginalized communities. Wright, drawing on her own professional experience as a theater artist, emphasizes how devised theater can be a powerful method of settling disputes and storytelling.

“One of the ways that I got going in my career was working with communities and schools using theater as a tool. It’s a  way for kids to learn and for people to consider how to resolve conflict. It’s about promoting stories of people who might be on the margins,” she added.

Growth from Pilot to Course

Last year’s Theatrum Justitiae functioned as a club within Campus Ministry, with about 15 students participating on a voluntary basis. The final production was a stage reading of an original one act At the Table, performed with scripts in hand, and the program proved to be transformative for many students.

“It was such a unique opportunity to connect with others and explore real-world social issues,” said Finnian Evans ’26, one of the returning participants, reflecting on his experience.

“I’ve been acting since I was seven or eight, but this project was unlike anything I’ve done at Fordham Prep,” he added. Evans, whose parents were improv actors, particularly appreciated the blend of improvisation and structured storytelling.

Finnian Evans ‘26 (second from right), Andrew Adams ‘25 (third from left), Wright (first on left), and students in the pilot program during the Theatrum Justitiae stage reading of At the Table in Leonard Theatre on March 15th, 2024.

This year, Theatrum Justitiae raises the bar with full production value. All students will be off-book, memorizing their lines, and the production will include student-led design for sets, costumes, and props. Fifteen students are formally enrolled in the course for academic credit as of mid-December 2024, participating as actors, backstage crew, or production support, bringing the total to about 20.

“Having it as a credit course provides structure and accountability,” Ms. Wright notes, addressing challenges faced in last year’s pilot program.

Andrew Adams ‘25, who served as Student Director of Theatrum Justitiae last year is excited to take the lessons learned from the pilot program and use them to further streamline the process of creating a production in the class this year.

“I think having experienced some of the frustrations from last year of figuring out how to work through this program with the resources we have, the types of students we have, and with the students’ interest—I’m looking forward to coming out with a story that is even closer to our hearts.”

A member of the Fordham Prep Dramatic Society (FPDS) since his freshman year, Adams took a serious interest in acting as a high school student after performing in a few plays during middle school.

When thinking about the next iteration of Theatrum Justitiae, Adams finds inspiration from The Empty Space, a revolutionary idea by theater artist Peter Brooks. Adams says, “I like to think of the stage as kind of the surface of the ocean. We have no idea the depth and the complexity that exists underneath, but it's up to us to dive deep and bring these murky areas to the surface and say, ‘How can make these present, and how can we put them in the now? I think that's the most valuable thing that theater offers us: the now. It's not a story about the past or the future. It's always happening in the present moment.”

The focus of this year’s production aligns with the Faith Doing Justice Summit theme, which is Pilgrims of Hope: Building Unity and Solidarity Across Borders. Students will create stories in the “here-and-now” related to migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and other forms of “borders” in the present moment.

Artistic Growth and Reflection

In addition to the performance itself, the course emphasizes student reflection and growth. Students will complete a synthesis paper and personal reflection after the performance, analyzing their development as artists and thinkers. The final paper will track how their perspectives have evolved through the creative process, offering an academic lens to complement their artistic experience.

Wright hopes that Theatrum Justitiae will continue to evolve from a half-credit to a full three-credit course, further solidifying its place within Fordham Prep’s academic and artistic offerings. The program also aligns with the school’s other theatrical opportunities, such as the winter and spring FPDS plays, providing students with a year-round platform for creative expression.

As Fordham Prep continues its mission to form leaders committed to faith, scholarship, and service, Theatrum Justitiae exemplifies the power of the arts to inspire reflection and action. The final production on April 11th promises to be a moving and thought-provoking culmination of months of student-driven creativity—a testament to the transformative potential of theater in the service of justice.