Reefer Madness

Oct 10 – Nov 15, 2026

The panic

One puff away

Wholesome teens, one reefer, total collapse. The 1936 film’s hysteria, played at full volume.

The history

Selling a scare

Under the camp is real history: the 1930s anti-marijuana campaign, and the coded language that sold it to America.

The Lecturer

Very good at the difference

He’s a man who has learned exactly what can be said in a school auditorium and what can’t. By the end, his intentions are no longer in question.

About the Production

Music and Book by Dan Studney, Lyrics and Book by Kevin Murphy, creators of Heathers and Bat Boy: The Musical. Based on the infamous 1936 propaganda film, Reefer Madness: The Musical is a darkly comic, wildly irreverent cult classic that skewers moral panic, suburban conformity, and the absurdity of anti-drug hysteria, told through campy, infectious musical numbers and gleeful bad-taste theatrics.

Rovin Jay directs this production for the Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre, running October 10 through November 15, 2026.

Critical Response

"Rovin Jay's direction was top-notch... Jay maintains a level of satire that teeters dangerously close to camp without ever tumbling completely into it. That delicate balance is one of the production's defining strengths."
— Steve Rosenberg · October 2026

"Jay's blocking presents each moment for maximum effect and keeps our eyes aswivel."
— Greggory Moore, Random Lengths News · October 2026

"Under the direction of Rovin Jay... the Playhouse has assembled a solid cast that takes on the material together.
Camp requires commitment. There is little use being mildly outrageous. This company understands the assignment."
— Sean McMullen, The Grunion · October 2026