Harbor Lights Announces Fall Professional Theater Training Program

The Harbor Lights Theater Company, a professional not-for-profit company dedicated to illuminating the human experience through the highest quality theatrical production and arts education, announces its professional theater training program "Enter Stage Right" and its Fall Semester courses, for youth ages 11-18.

The Fall SEMESTER, runs SATURDAYS September 24- December 2011
(Exact Dates and Location to be announced soon). For more information, please go to: www.theharborlightstheatercompany.org 

ACTING - Technique and Stage Craft - with Tamara Jenkins and Jay Montgomery. The cost is $240 for 8 classes and includes final showcase. The classes is scheduled from 10 a.m.-12 noon

The class will emphasize developing skills necessary for an actor, such as: listening and responding, stage awareness, and isolating a character's objectives, obstacles and motivations. Techniques from Stanislavki, Uta Hagen and Meisner are utilized. The class ends with a final invited showcase.

Theater Dance classes are also scheduled from September-December (8 classes from 1-3 p.m.) The cost is $200 and includes a final showcase.

This two-hour class will focus the entire first hour on building a basic, solid dance foundation, using ballet and jazz techniques. Students will learn dance vocabulary, coordination, flexibility, balance, rhythm, and develop an awareness of their body in movement within a designated space. The second hour will make an introduction into various styles of theater dance. Special attention is paid to acting within a number. The class ends with a final invited showcase

Jay Montgomery, FOUNDING ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR of The Harbor Lights Theater Company, made his Broadway debut as 'Whizzer' in the Tony Award-winning musical Falsettos, opposite Mandy Patinkin and Randy Graff. He played 'Whizzer' in the national tour of Falsettos, and appeared in the Los Angeles production. Mr. Montgomery has twIce Toured the country with Heart Strings, the landmark AIDS benefit, which raised millions for local AIDS charities, hospices, and volunteer organizations in cities all over America. The original cast was written, directed, and choreographed by Bick Goss, and featured Christopher Reeve, Sandy Duncan, and Tommy Tune. The reprise production was written, directed and choreographed by David H. Bell, and added Oscar winner Lou Gossett, Jr. and the late Nell Carter as guest stars.
Regionally, Mr. Montgomery has appeared in over seventy productions, among them 'Antony' in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, starring George Hearn and Judy Kaye,' the 'Gentleman Caller' in The Glass Menagerie, starring Kathleen Nolan as 'Amanda,' and 'Robert' in Company. Mr. Montgomery has played 'Che' in the Andrew Lloyd Webber blockbuster Evita a half dozen times (Atlanta's Post and Alley Award for Best Actor), and has played 'Curly' in the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Oklahoma! five times.

Tamara Jenkins,FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, is an actress, writer, producer and organizer of special events. On the stage, Ms. Jenkins has appeared as ‘Velma' in the First National Broadway Tour of Chicago, originated the role of ‘Cosette' in the First National Broadway Tour of the smash hit Les Miserables, appeared as four felines in the original First National Broadway Tour of Cats, and covered the role of ‘Eliza' in the Richard Chamberlain revival of My Fair Lady. Off- Broadway she appeared in the recent revival of Jaques Brel Is Alive and Well at The Zipper Theater. Her many regional credits include: ‘Fiona' in Brigadoon with Dick Van Patton, ‘Hodel' in Fiddler on the Roof with Theo Bikel, ‘Guenevere' in Camelot with Noel Harrison, ‘Glinda' in Wizard of Oz with Bob Keeshan, ‘Anna' in the King and I, and ‘Lucy Mercer' in Eleanor at such theaters as The Pittsburgh Public, The Pioneer Theater, Kansas City Starlight, Muny Opera, Fulton Opera, Cherry County Playhouse and Westchester Broadway.
On television, she has appeared in the recurring role of ‘Dr. Emory' on Guiding Light, as a guest star on Conviction, and on A&E's Curse of the Hope Diamond with Leonard Nimoy.

Her efforts for peace have been a source of pride, having appeared as featured vocalist with jazz greats Wayne Shorter, Buster Williams, Larry Coryell and Nestor Torres in Los Angeles, and Tokyo, Japan for The International Committee of Artists for Peace (ICAP). In 1996, she helped organize Songs of Joy, a Concert for Peace at Carnegie Hall, celebrating the 50th anniversary of UNICEF, with over 250 performers, including Herbie Hancock and Art Garfunkel. She has received three awards for her activities for Peace through Culture from UN affiliated organizations.
As a librettist, Ms. Jenkins' first script was a finalist for the prestigious Richard Rogers Award. She produced and directed a reading of her show Steps In Time at The Henry Miller Theater, starring Milo O'Shea and Helen Gallagher. She is currently working on two librettos for musicals.

Beth Gittleman, FOUNDING ASSOCIATE PRODUCER of The Harbor Lights Theater Company. She choreographed last spring's production of Marry Me a Little and will be choreographing this December's production of Amahl and the Night Visitors. This summer, Beth taught theater dance for the second year of the "Enter Stage Right" pre-professional theatrical intensive at Harbor Lights. She started studying dance at the age of 3 on Long Island. At 10, she was a member of the Long Island Ballet Theater under the direction of Robert Christopher of Alvin Ailey and began studying theater jazz with Bob Fosse dancer, Lloyd Cullbreath. At 16, she started studying with her mentor Bill Hastings, a disciple of Bob Fosse, and still her most trusted source of all things dance. Other notable choreographers and teachers Beth has had the opportunity to work and/or study with are: Gwen Verdon, Nicole Fosse, Ann Reinking, Chet Walker, Andy Blankenbuehler, David Marquez, Nikki Harris, Tony Stevens, Robert La Fosse, and Donald McKayle, among others. Beth was a recipient of the Richard-Ellner scholarship for dance in NYC as well as a scholarship to Jacob's Pillow in Massachusetts. She has performed regionally and Off-Broadway in musical theater and dance. Beth is currently being certified to teach Ballroom and Latin dance and offers private instruction in jazz, tap, and ballet.