How Scarlett Keys leapt from baguettes to the big stage | Humans of Catlin Gabel

By Evan Zhang ‘26

Scarlett Keys poses in the Quad. Courtesy of Evan Zhang ‘26.

Whether she’s portraying a Greek deity in Hadestown, taking notes as Secretary of the Catlin Gabel Student Association (CGSA), or simply walking around campus with her signature crop of shiny, red hair, Scarlett Keys ‘26 is practically a household name among the Catlin Gabel School (CGS) student body. Keys is a woman of many roles: an affinity group leader, a WINGS ambassador, a tour guide, a summer counselor, and an avid Brittany Broski fan, to name a few.

But what lies beneath that expansive resume and often theatrical exterior? I sat down with Keys, determined to find out.

Keys was born in Portland, Ore., and has lived here for most of her life. From preschool until eighth grade, she attended a French immersion school, with the exception of sixth grade, when her family spent a year living in Paris, France. As a little girl, she took a keen interest in the arts — the performing arts, in particular.

Early on, this interest manifested in three-hour stand-up comedy shows held for her mother. “If she didn’t laugh hard enough, I’d be a little sad,” Keys recalled, but she was quick to tack on a quip. “They were always terrible jokes, though, so I wouldn’t laugh hard either.”

Third grade marked a pivotal moment in her childhood: her first theatrical production. With the support of two of her friends and the approval of her teacher, Keys put on a play based on The Airport Book by Lisa Brown, during which she sang for five minutes…fully improvised. “It was very high stakes, meaning that we’d practiced for four recesses before our big performance,” she joked.

From that point forward, her theatrical persona flourished, and she went on to portray the genie in Aladdin and the lead in a Greek play as a lower schooler. Additionally, in middle school, she portrayed Lydia Deetz in an “illegal production of ‘Beetlejuice’.”

Since her arrival at CGS in freshman year, Keys has made a name for herself within the school’s theater department. Her repertoire boasts both minor roles in Singin’ in the Rain and Mamma Mia as well as an impressive repository of major roles: Soldier 3 in Antigone, Mr. Wormwood in Matilda, Elizabeth Bennet in You On the Moors Now, Renfield in Dracula, Prince John in Robin Hood, and a Fate in Hadestown. Unsurprisingly, she has taken nearly every theater class that CGS has to offer.

Outside of acting, other academic interests of hers include business, biology, and math. 

Keys wasn’t always a fan of math; as a child, she had dyscalculia (also known as ‘number dyslexia’), leading her to believe that she was never going to be good at math. However, that all changed at CGS, where, under Becky Wynne, she began to view the subject in a positive light. “I love it when there’s one answer to things, and I don’t have to dilly-dally,” she explained.

Speaking about her course schedule as a senior, Keys named theater as a source of inspiration. “I’ve chosen to pick my academic courses based on what I want to do…and not what a college wants to see,” she said, comparing a rejection during the audition process to one during the admissions process. 

Thanks to her flexible schedule, she now has time for hobbies like baking, dancing, making cassette tapes, sewing, thrifting, and reading. Keys’ friends describe her as whimsical, and a peek into her closet makes it easy to see why. As opposed to buying clothes from department stores, she enjoys altering thrifted clothing to fit her size and suit her tastes.

Three tops either adjusted or created by Keys. Courtesy of Scarlett Keys ‘26.

There is a method behind the madness. “[Altering clothes] was more out of necessity because my closet was going to blow up if I didn’t start cutting things up,” she clarified. “And, I don’t know, I’m a big supporter of the phrase…‘you’re not supposed to fit in the clothing, clothing’s meant to fit you.’”

Another hobby of hers is reading — reading plays, in particular. In fact, according to Keys, “all the books [she reads] are plays.” She elaborated by saying “I like reading them to myself because I can do little voices in my head,” which perhaps proves that the whimsical label is not undeserved.

When asked what adjectives she would ascribe to herself, Keys was quick to mention “empathetic.” 

Looking at her leadership roles around campus, this label holds weight. For instance, as the co-founder of Female and Nonbinary Affinity (FANS), she has created a safe space for marginalized students, and even instated FANS as a chapter of menstrual equity organization PERIOD.

Furthermore, her Secretary position on the CGSA allows her to address issues that she notices within the student body, such as her recent speech at assembly that drew attention to negative talk related to body image. Since the job primarily comprises taking notes during meetings, she takes advantage of the platform it affords her. “It’s really what you make of it, and I’ve made truly so much of the position, in my opinion,” she expressed.

Moving into senior year, Keys has become more comfortable overall with her status as a leader in the community. On top of FANS and the CGSA, she mentors a group of freshman students through the WINGS program, who look up to her as a “cool” senior. Moreover, she believes her red hair has helped her to garner a reputation of being “pretty fun.”

Personally, Keys is inspired by two leaders in her own life: her sister, Campbell, and her mother. Both women she credits for guiding her along her self-improvement journey. Besides her family, she deeply appreciates her peers in FANS, who are “some of the most talented, capable, and strong women [she’s]...ever met.”

While she is still on the lookout for a summer job, she has a number of paid work experiences under her belt. For example, Keys babysits for multiple families in her free time and enjoys her tenure as a summer counselor at CGS Summer Camp. “I really like working with kids,” she stated, adding somewhat ironically, “I think it’s fun and it makes me feel youthful again.”

Although she may not consider herself youthful, some of her favorite media is from her childhood. Her favorite film Surf’s Up, features an animated penguin named Cody who has dreams of becoming a professional surfer — impressively, as Keys demonstrated mid-interview, she can recite Cody’s entire monologue off the dome.

Beyond movies, she listed “Total Eclipse of the Heart” as her favorite song, Newsies as her favorite stage musical, and romance as her favorite book genre. “Ugh, I’m a sucker for a romance book. I love rom-coms,” she commented.

She’s The Man, a romantic comedy based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, holds a special place in her heart. She calls herself a “Shakespeare nerd,” and even has a book called Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year, which naturally features a Shakespearean work for every day of 2026. As of April 1st, she is 91 days in.

Yet again, theater serves as a foundation for Keys’ interests, and she calls performing onstage “a life-changing experience.” That said, she expressed a desire to step away from the spotlight. She remarked, “I think, after finishing my senior show, I don’t think I want to do theater for my entire life, but I never really want to lose it.”

If there is one lesson Keys wishes to pass on to the next generation of CGS students, it is that “people need to be more positive.” She stressed the importance of gratitude, patience, and positivity, which she believes can change the world. 

Her other message is less serious. Humor is a central part of her identity, and the following is a joke that Keys created on the spot: What did the Peanut Butter DJ say in his set intro? “Let’s get ready to jam!”