The Daryl Roth Studio Theater Represents a New Chapter at the Hop
New performance space to carry the name of the Tony Award-winning producer
Daryl Roth (front row, center), producer of Tony award-winning musical Kinky Boots, poses with the cast after the closing performance of the Broadway production on April 7, 2019.
At the grand reopening of the Hopkins Center for the Arts this October, Dartmouth will unveil the Daryl Roth Studio Theater—a cutting-edge space designed to spark innovation, creativity, and connection.
With more than three decades shaping the American theater, producer and philanthropist Daryl Roth is one of Broadway’s most accomplished and visionary producers. A 13-time Tony Award winner, she has produced more than 130 shows on and off Broadway, ranging from the global hit musical Kinky Boots to gripping dramas such as The Normal Heart. She holds the distinction of being the only producer to have staged seven Pulitzer Prize–winning plays. While her body of work features some of the most celebrated playwrights of our time, Roth is equally known for investing in new and lesser-known voices, giving their stories a stage, and often helping launch their careers.
In addition to the studio theater named in her honor, Roth’s vision and generosity helped bring the Hopkins Center’s transformation to life through the new Daryl and Steven Roth Wing—a space made possible by both Daryl and her husband, Steven Roth ’62, TU’63. We sat down to talk about her philosophy on the arts, the role of theater in liberal arts education, and her family’s long-standing Dartmouth connections.
Q: You chose the words “May this space be home to imagine, create, engage, enlighten, and inspire” for the studio theater that will carry your name. What do those words mean to you?
It is a combination of words, yes, but it represents the way I feel about my own career and also what I hope it will do to inspire people who enter that beautiful new space. I’ve always tried to do theater that engages, enlightens, and Inspires people onstage, behind the scenes, and in the audience, so I felt strongly about those words as a philosophy. It’s a personal mantra, and I wanted to share that.
Q: What about this new space makes possible things that weren’t possible before?
Foremost, I think it will be a much more welcoming space for various disciplines. There will be dance, there will be theater, there will be music, but the updated Hop spaces also offer places for people to gather and talk about what they’ve just seen or done. It feels as though it can build community in that way. The Hop has always been there, but this gives it new vitality, and I hope it inspires people to truly engage in their creativity, as well as be enthusiastic audience members.
Inside the Daryl Roth Studio Theater, a versatile black-box space for experimentation is set up with flexible seating.
Q: You’ve often spoken of theater as a bridge builder. Why is that so important now?
Theater is about telling stories, and everyone has their own. We learn from those stories; we can better understand people who are not like ourselves. Theater holds a mirror up to society, and when we’re able to look in that mirror and learn about others, we learn more about ourselves and become better people. That’s the bridge building.
I’ve tried to do work in my career that achieves that. For example, I produced a play about Gloria Steinem, and the second act became a “talking circle” where the audience engaged in dialogue together. I also think of Kinky Boots, which at its heart was about kindness and acceptance. People told me it helped them communicate with their families more openly, and in some cases, it gave young people the courage to come out and become true to themselves. These are real, concrete ways that theater has the power to build bridges.
Q: How do you see the Hop serving students and faculty across disciplines?
Most of my career has been about designating, supporting, and encouraging new young playwrights, so what better place than on a college campus? It may not be someone’s life occupation, but it’s something they can try. Even if they don’t pursue it professionally, theater enriches your life forever.
I also hope faculty take advantage of this space in an interdisciplinary way, for both showcasing their own work, as well as teaching and collaborating with students. Another thing I hope will happen is that we will invite people in the field to offer master classes or to workshop and develop new productions at Dartmouth. This summer, for instance, playwright Anna Deavere Smith came to Dartmouth to work with Anita Hill on a play. That’s exactly the kind of creative collaboration I hope this space fosters.
Q: Can you tell us about the Roth Visiting Scholar Award and what it brings to Dartmouth and the Hop?
The Roth Visiting Scholar Award is something our family is very proud of because it allows Dartmouth to bring remarkable artists and thinkers to campus for an extended time. It’s not just about a performance or a lecture—it’s about real exchange with students and faculty, and the chance for the community to be part of an artist’s process. We’ve had incredible recipients like Basil Twist, whose puppetry opens up whole new ways of telling stories, and Nona Hendryx, whose work in music and performance has always pushed boundaries. And then there’s Enrique Martínez Celaya, a visual artist who really makes you stop and think about how we live, how we make choices, and how art can help us see ourselves and the world differently. Programs like this really connect with the purpose of the new studio theater, which is to be a space for innovative artists and performers—including traditionally underrepresented voices.
Having visiting scholars in residence means the theater can be alive with experimentation and collaboration, and our students get to experience that firsthand. At its heart, the Roth Visiting Scholar Award is about enriching creative learning opportunities on campus. Students and faculty engage directly with leading artists—and the community benefits by being welcomed into that energy.
Q: Your family’s support for Dartmouth spans generations. How did that begin?
My husband, Steven Roth ’62 TU ’63, has always credited Dartmouth with his success, so it was meaningful for him to give back because of that gratitude. Over the years, I became deeply involved as well. When our daughter was a student, she became active in speaking out against an antisemitic article that was published by a student publication. I think it helped her acknowledge what she may not have had the confidence to recognize before Dartmouth, but she became this wonderful leader—and of course made us very proud.
As a result, Steven and I wanted to give a gift to Dartmouth that was not only personal but would also be helpful for others on campus. That’s when we decided that our gift would be the Roth Center for Jewish Life. That center became a special gathering place, and in a way, the studio theater is a cousin to it. Both are about creating spaces where people feel comfortable, welcome, and able to share experiences. After our daughter's experience, and now with our granddaughters also attending Dartmouth, the connection feels even more profound.
Q: What lesson do you hope students take away from this space?
Take risks. College is the perfect time to do that. My father always said, “A left turn may turn out to be your right turn.” The studio theater should encourage people to try things, to spread their wings...and fly.
I hope this becomes a place where students, faculty, and visiting artists all feel inspired to imagine, create, and share. Dartmouth is already fabulous, but this is another way it looks to the future.