Arts - St. John's Preparatory School

Create Confidently

ARTS

Visual Arts

Visual arts at St. John's Prep inspire students to create, explore, and express themselves through a wide range of artistic disciplines. Guided by experienced faculty and empowered by choice, students develop technical skills, creative confidence, and their own unique artistic voice while learning to think critically, solve problems, and bring ideas to life.

Music

Music is more than an art form at St. John's Prep—it's a pathway to creativity, confidence, and collaboration. With expert faculty, a wide range of courses and ensembles, and countless opportunities to perform, students develop their musical talents while cultivating the discipline, teamwork, and self-expression that are hallmarks of a Xaverian education.

Theater

Theater arts at St. John's Prep empower students to find their voice, build confidence, and bring stories to life. Through hands-on courses in acting, production, design, and playwriting, students develop their creativity, communication skills, and collaborative spirit while gaining the experience and confidence to perform both on stage and beyond.

Recent Performances

View galleries of past performances and see our students in action.

The Little Prince
Middle School Drama Guild, Drama Fest 2026

Popcorn Falls
High School Play Production Class, 2026

The Fabulous Fable Factory
Middle School Drama Guild, Fall Show 2025

Godspell
High School Drama Guild, Fall Show 2025

Theater Spaces

The Ryken Center for the Arts is a three-story building on the St. John's Prep campus that is entirely dedicated to the arts. On the first floor you'll find the first of three theater spaces, the Blackbox Theater, where theater classrooms, summer performances, concerts, and art shows all have taken place. Alumni Hall houses our 350-seat traditional theater, while the Middle School uses a unique and expansive classroom space to hold class and rehearsals.

Kroo

Shows at St. John's would be impossible without the masterful crew (or "kroo" as it's called here) team behind the scenes. Students regularly win awards at the METG Drama Festival for crew work, including lighting, sound design, and stage production. An on-campus wood shop allows students to build sets from scratch, and students lend their sewing skills each year for costumes and backdrops.

METG Theater Titles Since 1974

In the spring, both the Middle and High School Drama Guilds participate in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild's Drama Festival, a tradition in the theater world dating back to 1974. The High School Drama Guild has won the competition a whopping 20 times, making the group St. John's Prep's winningest team.