Janet Rodgers

Recently I participated in the Sandwich Arts Alliance evening of staged readings, Six by Ten, where I played roles in three of the six plays.  

From 1975 through 1982, I was a professional actress in Boston, playing many leading roles in classical plays (Lyric Stage, Boston Shakespeare Company) while doing summer stock at various New England Theatres.  In 1982, I took a leave of absence from acting while raising my son and pursuing a career as a Director and Professor of Theatre.  From 1982 through 1987 I taught Theatre at The Boston Conservatory.  From 1987 through 2012 I taught theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA…retiring from teaching as a Professor Emerita.  During my teaching career I directed plays, dialect coached for stage, tv and film as well as acted on occasion.  In 2017, my husband and I moved back to Cape Cod where we had owned a home since 1974.  Sandwich is now our permanent home base.

Last year, while my husband, Christus, and I were living for 4 months in San Miguel, Mexico, where he had an exhibition of paintings,  I wrote an Epic Performance Poem that tells the story, using poetry and narration, of Irena Gut, a young Catholic Polish girl who saved the lives of 12 young Jewish people during World War II.  Since September, I have been touring the east coast with Irena’s story and have enjoyed being “back on the boards”.

A Few Representative Roles

The Master Builder                        Hilde Wangel                       Lyric Stage, Boston

Misalliance                                       Hypatia                                 Lyric Stage, Boston

The Lady’s Not for Burning          Jennet                                    Lyric Stage, Boston

The Glass Menagerie                     Laura                                     Lyric Stage, Boston

The Importance of Being 

 Earnest                                             Cecily Cardew                      Lyric Stage, Boston

Private Lives                                     Sibyl                                        Lyric Stage, Boston

Taming of the Shrew                     Kate                                       Boston Shakespeare Co.

Comedy of Errors                            Adrianna                               Boston Shakespeare Co.

Richard III                                         Queen Margaret                Boston Shakespeare Co.

Tartuffe                                             Elmire                                    Boston Shakespeare Co.

Private Lives of the Master 

                                    Race               Jewish Wife                          Boston Shakespeare Co.

Time of Your Life                             Mary L                                   Boston Shakespeare Co.

Blithe Spirit                                      Elvira                                      Eastern Mountain Slopes

Joe Egg                                              Gracie                                    Eastern Mountain Slopes

Beowulf                                             Wealtheow                          La Mama ETC, NYC

I Can Feel the Air                            Sido                                        Boston Arts Group

Charley’s Aunt                                 Charley’s Aunt                     Weathervane Theatre

The Mousetrap                               Mrs. Boyle                            Weathervane Theatre

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern

                         Are Dead                 Gertrude                               Weathervane Theatre

A Midsummer Night’s Dream     Helena                                   Weathervane Theatre

You Never Can Tell                         Gloria                                     Tufts Summer Theatre

Hot L Baltimore                              Millie                                      Tufts Summer Theatre

You Know I Can’t Hear You          Harriet, Edith                      Cape Ann Playhouse

When the Water’s Running     Muriel

All My Sons                                       Kate                                       Shafer Street Playhouse

Night Sky                                           Anna                                      R. Hodges Theatre

 My website is www.JanetRodgers.com. Here you can find more information about books I have written and edited as well as about some of my research around Acting & Singing with Archetypes.