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For 51���� School of the Arts graduate Roderick Justice, choreographing his alma mater’s recent production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" is a full-circle moment. On Friday, April 25, SOTA kicked off its first production of the musical since Justice played the role of Judas as an undergraduate, 20 years ago.

“When I think about the cast from back then, there was really a secret sauce there,” Justice says. “The actor who played Jesus, Aaron Lavigne, went on to play Jesus in the national 'Jesus Christ Superstar'��tour. I went on to become artistic director of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. You’ve got Sarah Peak, who also played on the national tour. There were so many people in that production that went on to make real careers in the arts.”

This time around, Justice sees much of that same spark in the cast of students he’s working with as a choreographer.

“I was watching them the other night after I set the choreography, hopping back between 51���� and the Children’s Theatre,” he says. “This cast has so much hunger. Something about this team reminds me of what was happening 20 years ago. Everybody’s gelling together.”

To Justice, playing the role of Judas shaped his own view of the musical, specifically challenging his conception of villains in fiction.

“I typically played a very baritone, clean-cut leading man, so this was a challenge for me” Justice says. “But it allowed me to see that in a story, every villain believes they’re not the villain. It’s not about good versus evil—it’s about perspective and how easily good intentions can become misguided actions. I think it’s a very interesting reflection of human behavior.”

Justice credits his journey from 51���� to becoming artistic director at the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati to key mentors and a uniquely versatile education. At 51����, he worked closely with director Ken Jones, who became a mentor and friend, fostering his early artistic development.

While still a student, Justice also performed with the Children’s Theatre, where artistic director Jack Louiso recognized his broader potential, encouraging him to teach, choreograph and even costume design. After a successful stint performing professionally in New York, Justice returned to Cincinnati, drawn back by the theater’s educational mission.

“51���� said, ‘Alright, we know your type, but let's see how versatile we can make you,’” Justice says.

This versatility—developed by performing, choreographing and working behind the scenes—prepared him to take on increasingly significant creative leadership roles, culminating in becoming artistic director in 2015.

In 2024, Justice received an honorable mention for Excellence in Theatre Education from the Tony Awards, recognizing his dedication to instilling a love of the arts in K-12 students. His proudest moment as a professional, however, took place during a sensory-friendly performance of “Tarzan” at the Children’s Theatre.

“After the sensory-friendly performance, I was standing in the back, and I see this child just bolting towards me as fast as possible down the aisle,” he says. “And, you know, when you have a sensory-friendly performance, you’ll be trained to catch a bolting child, so you never know what's going to happen. But he was just really excited to come see me because he had just seen me up on stage doing a curtain speech. When the parent finally got there, I asked, ‘Did you enjoy the show?’ He's not saying anything, and the mom says, ‘Just so you know, he's not verbal.’ I said, ‘Oh, well, I hope you had great time today.’ Then he shot me a thumbs-up, and said, ‘Okay.’ In that moment, I locked eyes with the mom, and we were both stunned that this child spoke. All he could say was ‘okay.’”

Justice says he’ll never forget the power of that moment, allowing a non-verbal student to vocalize something he was so excited about.

His advice to 51���� students currently interested in a career in theatre is to learn as much about as many aspects of the business as possible in order to remain versatile.

“The more you know, the more you'll work. The more you work, the more people you'll meet. The more networking that will happen, the more your career will grow,” he says.

Reflecting on his journey, Justice expresses deep gratitude toward his 51���� mentors—Ken Jones and Jamey Strawn.

“They didn’t rush me,” he says. “They nurtured my curiosity and my hunger to learn.”

Justice’s career embodies this gratitude, driven by a passion for theater and a commitment to lifelong learning, values he now shares through his own mentorship.