Every boy from Beginners through Class IX performs for his schoolmates and family members in an annual class play. A valued tradition at Buckley for as long as can be remembered, Class Plays allow boys to experience public speaking and dramatic performance each year at the School, growing in confidence and in their love of the performing arts. These plays range from slapstick screwball comedies to modern-day fairy tales and tense courtroom dramas and are directed by (and occasionally written by!) the individual homeroom teachers with the aid of a professional drama teacher. Each play is fully costumed and the boys help with set design and painting, lighting, sound and stage management as age-appropriate.
In addition to the class plays, there are several other performance traditions every year. Boys in Class I perform in the annual Nativity Play, a Buckley holiday tradition, and Class II boys sing the carols that accompany it. Boys in Class VI and Class VIII perform annual operettas. Class VI operettas in recent years have included The Wizard of Oz, Oliver and Peter Pan; Class VIII boys—with the additional talents of girls at several of our sister schools such as Brearley, Chapin and Spence—have performed Brigadoon, Newsies, and Spamalot. Operettas are performed in the evening for parents and friends and are an important rallying point for the Buckley community each year.