In 1972, Jack Boyle, a member of the RHS English Department, founded the New Players Company as a co-curricular activity involving 30 to 40 students who produced two or three plays during the year and another two in the summer. By 1979, the program had expanded to four to six plays during the school year plus a summer program and a special production for children, introduced by Brian Aschinger, who was then the Artistic Director of the Company. In 1986, Rachael Daum and Dennis Carroll, both faculty members at RHS, were appointed co-Artistic Directors. Two more resident directors, both English teachers at RHS, joined the company during the next two years: Lori Barnett in 1987 and Meg Schaefer in 1988. During the 1990’s student participation in the New Players Company steadily increased, until it comprised over 10% of the student body. Also during this period, numerous alumni began to return to the New Players Company to serve as directors and designers, most notably Laurie Sales, who assumed responsibility for running the Junior Company Program, as well as directing one or two senior productions each year. In 2005, Meg Schaefer was appointed Artistic Director of the Company.

The New Players Company is dedicated to offering students the highest caliber of theatre education by providing them a wide range of experiences during their high school years and exposing them to plays and musicals of all genres and styles. The New Players repertoire is comprised of contemporary as well as classic plays and includes challenging, complex works. Students in the New Players program are involved in all aspects of theatre, under the guidance of a dedicated staff of theatre educators and professionals. Numerous opportunities are offered to students to develop their technical skills by working on set construction and painting, lighting, sound, costume and make-up. In addition, students serve as stage managers, junior company directors, and directors of one-act plays and musical scenes.