You Belong Here
So much is in store for you at Lesley University! Now that you’ve been accepted, RSVP for our exclusive celebration for new undergraduate and Threshold students for Saturday, April 27.

The Oxford Street Players

The Oxford Street Players is a Shakespearean theater company that puts on full-scale productions for the Lesley community and for the public. The production is always linked to our undergraduate drama courses; however, we invite all of our students, faculty, and staff, as well as actors outside of the university, to audition.

Combining Theory & Practice

Gain a foundation in classic and contemporary texts as well as how to bring those texts to life onstage. In special workshops, learn directly from guest artists, choreographers, and music directors. And through courses devoted to production work, create alongside professional designers and consultants, enriching your understanding of theater production and its professional roles.

Associated Theater Courses

Choose from two undergraduate play production courses linked to Oxford Street Players performances.

Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Oxford Street Players with Twelve Nights of Shakespeare

To celebrate 25 years of the Oxford Street Players at Lesley University, the Players hosted 12 back-to-back nights of Shakespearean events in April of 2021, ending with a radio play production of Twelfth Night.

Producing Shakespeare in a pandemic is no easy task. Read more about the processes the Players underwent to make it all happen.

If you missed this series of events, you can still watch all of the videos right here!

 


Watch an introductory video, an interview with the founding mothers of the Players, and interviews with some of their former teachers and designers.

Watch more videos with former teachers and designers, as well as former Players.

Lastly, enjoy some interviews with Oxford Street Players alumni and members from this year's cast and crew.

Join the Friends of Oxford Street Players

We need financial support from the public to produce plays that give our students a transformative educational experience. Your tax-deductible donation will be acknowledged in the playbill.

There are several levels of giving:

  • Gods and Goddesses: $1,000 and more
  • Monarchs: $500–$999
  • Princes and Princesses: $250–$499
  • Dukes and Duchesses: $100–$249
  • Lords and Ladies: $50–$99
  • Knights Errant and Ladies in Waiting: $25–$49
  • Courtiers: $10–$24
"Never having acted in a Shakespeare play, I learned more under Dr. Pluto’s direction than from any other theater group. My confidence grew enormously, not only as a performer, but also as a student and a person.”
Shealan Anderson, Oxford Street Players alum

Dr. Anne Elezabeth Pluto

Professor of Theatre and Literature

Anne has her doctorate in English Literature, and an MA in Humanities from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she studied poetry with Robert Creeley, Irving Feldman, and John Logan. She is an alum of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, and has studied at the Linklater Studio. She’s also the co-founder of Lesley's Oxford Street Players and teaches courses in English Composition, Creative Writing, Literature, and Play Production: Shakespeare.

Read Anne's Bio

Make a contribution or get involved
Contact Anne Pluto, Professor of Theatre and Literature, with any questions.