Bay Street Theater Starts 2024 With Classes for All

Bay Street Theater has announced its winter 2024 line-up of classes and workshops offering something for everyone in the community ages 7 to 87-plus, including actors, nonactors and aspiring actors (and aspiring clowns). Everyone is welcome.

“Bay Street Education is delighted to start 2024 with some sure to be very popular offerings for our youth,” said Allen O’Reilly, Bay Street’s director of education and community outreach, “‘101 Dalmatians KIDS’, ‘Scene Study for Teens’ as well as some new offerings for adults that will continue to engage our many lifelong learners.”

To enroll for any classes, visit Bay Street’s box office on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor, Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or contact baystreet.org. For additional information on any classes feel free to contact Allen O’Reilly at allen@baystreet.org or 631-725-0818 ext. 213.

The Winter line-up includes:

“Disney’s 101 Dalmatians KIDS” Directed by Bethany Dellapolla

Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon, January 20 to March 9. Performance Monday, March 11, at 7 p.m. Ages 7 to 16, $350.

Based on the classic animated film, “Disney’s 101 Dalmatians KIDS” is a fur-raising adventure featuring Cruella De Vil, Disney’s most outrageous villain, and 101 of the most adorable heroes to set their paws onstage. With a high-spirited score and lovable characters, this stage adaptation is certain to charm and delight all audiences.

Bethany Dellapolla is an actress, teacher, director, and choreographer based in New York City and Long Island. She has coached and taught at Broadway Dance Center, Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Bay Street Theater and Pierson Middle-High School where she has been directed and/or choreographed many shows for children and adults. As an actress, Dellapolla performed in everything from independent film to radio and theater. Most recently, she was seen as Mrs. Potts/Villager in “Beauty and the Beast”

“Scene Study Technique for Teens” With Bethany Dellapolla

Mondays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., February 5 to March 25. Ages 13 to 17, $250.

An intermediate-level class that helps actors take the next step in honing their craft and bringing characters on the page to life. Using acting exercises, games, and scene work, this class will offer students more tools to tackle a piece of text and learn what it means to be a good scene partner. Acting techniques such as active listening, observation, imagination, objectives/tactics and building character will be addressed, as well as memorization tips and techniques. Each student will be assigned a scene with a partner and be actively coached through the process. Attendance is required for most classes as this is partnered work.

“Shakespeare Means Business!” With Allen O’Reilly

Wednesdays, 7 to 9 p.m., February 7 to March 27. $250

This class is geared for both actors and business professionals. Through an analysis of Shakespeare’s text, participants will gain profound insights that will engender self-confidence for the stage, the boardroom, and in their personal lives. As a wise person once said, “If you can do Shakespeare, you can do anything!” The class will culminate in a “share” for friends and family on the final day on the Bay Street Stage.

Allen O’Reilly is Bay Street’s director of education and community outreach and has been an educator and professional actor for over 30 years. He has served as artistic director at Young Audiences of Atlanta, education director at Georgia Shakespeare, and most recently education programs manager at Cleveland Play House. He has acted at Bay Street Theater, Cleveland Play House and Geva Theatre.

“Sounds Great! Listening to Classical, Jazz, and Pop Music” With David M. Brandenburg

Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., February 8 to March 14. Adults 18 to 99, $250.

Well-known to music lovers throughout the Hamptons and beyond, composer and music director David M. Brandenburg will lead an exploration of musical elements across various musical styles, through listening to recordings and live performances. Topics will include rhythm, harmony, melody, and the connections between different kinds of music, with the goal of increasing appreciation and enjoyment. Six weekly sessions in lecture/demo format will be presented on the Bay Street stage. No musical background is necessary.

David M. Brandenburg has designed sound and composed music for numerous theater, concert, film, and television projects, including for Broadway stars Jenn Colella and Jim Walton, the New York Knicks, “Sesame Street” and Off-Broadway. As music director, he has led a wide array of groups, including eleven years with the Yale Jazz Ensemble, and currently the Island Jazz Express and Sag Harbor Community Band. Brandenburg is the music director and producer for Hamptons Shakespeare Festival, a company he co-founded that presents theater and educational programs from the East End to New York City. He has degrees from Yale College and Teachers College, Columbia University.

“On-Camera Scene and Character Study Class” With Frank D. Cento

Tuesdays, 7 to 9 p.m., February 13 to April 2. Ages 16 to 99, $300.

Four scenes will be chosen, two to four minutes in length from movies and plays both well-known and original. These scenes will cover all genres and the focus will be on character development and commitment to strong choices. Each scene will be rehearsed and shot as if it were an actual movie. All class members are guaranteed to be in more than one scene and these may be used as part of their professional reels.

Frank D. Cento is primarily known for staging original plays but has his share of revivals by some of his favorite writers such as Steve Braunstein, Tom Stoppard, Harold Pinter, Tennessee Williams, Peter Schaffer and Cary Pepper. His productions have been seen in Manhattan, Queens, the Hamptons and regionally. Early on as a director, he was invited by Harold Clurman to become a member of the Playwrights/Directors Unit at The Actors Studio in New York where he worked with Christopher Walken, Ben Gazzara and Eli Wallach, his daughter Roberta Wallach, Cathy Moriarty and others on various workshops. Additionally, he directed at Playwrights Horizon, the Van Dam Theater, The Directors Company, Queens Theatre in the Park, Soho Repertory, the Comedy Club on 36th Street, the National Arts Club, the Terry Schreiber Studio, the Village Vanguard and the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, to name a few. In film and digital media, Cento has produced and directed independent features, shorts, award-winning educational series such as Meet the Musicians, and documentaries on severely wounded vets from Iraq and Afghanistan for the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes.

“On-Camera Scene-work” With Meghan Rafferty

Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon, March 16 to April 13. Ages 16 and up, $300.

Teens, ages 16 and up, and adults will be given a new scene to work on each week and will work as “partners,” as they would in real-world callback situations. In addition, the first class will be focused on “cold reading,” where students will potentially have just 20 minutes to prepare for an audition, a common phenomenon in the world of auditioning for film and television. Not only will Rafferty give invaluable feedback on scenes, but she will also give participants advice on all aspects of self-taping including set-up, recording, editing and how to send an audition tape to casting directors that will bring you to the next level. Each participant will receive an edited copy of their best “take,” after each class. Don’t miss this truly unique opportunity to work with an industry professional who also happens to be one of only three New York casting directors who are also working actors.

Meghan Rafferty is a New York-based casting director and actor known for her work on HBO’s “The Leftovers” and the film “Paterson” and associate casting films “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Hugo” and HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.” Rafferty has taught hundreds of on-camera classes in the New York area, and at many universities and performing arts colleges across Long Island.

“Clown Curious Day for Kids” With Barbara Ann Michaels

Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. to noon. Ages 9 to 13, $125.

Everyone is funny because humor is part of being human — including you! Come discover how to be yourself and create positive humor and laughter with other kids as a clown. Clowns take the ups and downs of life and make them into fun games and stories that help the audience feel good. We’ll learn some classic clown skits, find out about red noses and wear them, and learn some of the rules of body language and comedy. You’re invited to play being a clown for a day.

Performance artist Barbara Ann Michaels creates humorous participatory artworks that foster deep human connection — via people feeling seen, heard and celebrated. She also trains facilitators on the universal rules of body language and humor. As an educator since 1998, Michaels has taught over 1,000 students ages two to senior adults in the performing arts, writing, journalism and humor. Her ethos as an educator is invention-attention-connection, meaning focusing on the unique creative expression of each student and creating a harmonious community from there. She has facilitated classes, workshops, and residencies for corporate, community, and academic groups including The Hive at Claremont College, Brown University Women Entrepreneurs, Creative Problem Solving Institute, Power Partners Institute, Urban Stages at Lycee Francais New York, Harlem School of the Arts, Merrimack Repertory Theater, Cambridge Performance Project at the Department of Human Services, Roxbury Boys and Girls Club and many more.

“Clown Curious Day for Adults” With Barbara Ann Michaels

Saturday, April 27, 1 to 3 p.m. Ages 18 and up, $125.

Clown theater is a hilarious and deeply vulnerable art form. We take in the ups and downs of life and laugh them out. It’s also personally transformative because our clown characters are based on ourselves, not on characters we invent. Come play, and learn some of the rules of humor and body language that you can then apply to further connection in any setting, personal or professional. First, we share a light body warm-up, then play simple group games that help us feel creative and related. We each don our red nose (provided) in a fun ritual. From there, we engage each other in classic physical comedy exercises, discovering more about our clown characters along the way. No performance experience is needed just an open spirit.