Bay Street's Student Academy Launches In 2022

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the founding of Bay Street Theater Student Academy, a theater academy for children and teens serving the youth of eastern Long Island. Created by Director of Education and Community Outreach, Allen O'Reilly, Executive Director, Tracy Mitchell, and Academy Director, Kayla Matters, the newly formed repertory hopes to empower a new generation of artists to discover theater as a powerful means of emotional expression, as well as a litany of other theoretical and technical concepts.

Bay Street Theater Academy will launch in January 2022 with their inaugural production, The Addams Family, directed by Kayla Matters, premiering in April.

Learning outcomes for participating actors are:

• Sense of community and collaboration
• Art as a means of emotional expression
• Confidence and public speaking
• Motivation and commitment
• Development of leadership skills
• Being a good role model

The Addams Family is open to any fully vaccinated performers ages 12 and older. Every performer must show proof of vaccination prior to auditions, which begin Monday, January 24, 2022. Every performer must be fully masked for the duration of each rehearsal; in order to perform unmasked during Tech Week and for each performance, each performer must provide a negative PCR Test from their medical provider, as well as a negative rapid test prior to each performance. Safety procedures will be updated according to all current Federal and New York State guidelines.

Auditions will take place on Monday, January 24, 2022. Each performer is asked to prepare 32 bars from the following song choices: Pulled, Just Around the Corner, Happy Sad, Crazier Than You, What If, The Moon and Me. An accompanist will be provided.

Callbacks for specific roles will follow on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Every performer who auditions for The Addams Family will be cast in the show. The Addams Family will rehearse weekly, Mondays through Wednesdays, beginning January 24 through April 4, from 3 to 6 p.m. each day. Performances will be held Friday, April 8, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 9, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Tuition for The Bay Street Theater Academy production of The Addams Family is $450, payable via www.baystreet.org.

Kayla Matters is a member of the Bay Street Theater family and is a New York-based actor, singer, and theater educator. She graduated summa cum laude from Rider University in 2018 with a BFA in Musical Theater. As an actor, she has performed professionally both regionally and in New York City.

Bay Street Theater is a fully vaccinated company. The building and theater have been renovated with upgraded air ventilation. No food or beverage will be allowed in the theater. For full list of COVID-19-related safety procedures and guidelines for in-person events, please visit us online at baystreet.org.

Bay Street Theater is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. It serves as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.

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