Stephen Hamilton

Stephen Hamilton is a director, producer, actor, arts administrator, arts educator and acting coach.
In 1991, Steve co-founded Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, NY, with his wife, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Sybil Christopher. In his seventeen years as Executive Director of Bay Street, Steve oversaw more than 50 productions, including Jon Robin Baitz’ adaptation of Hedda Gabler (Tony nomination, Kate Burton), Sandy Wilson’s The Boy Friend (Julie Andrews’ directorial debut and National Tour). Other new plays under his tenure included work from Jon Robin Baitz, Paula Vogel, Lanford Wilson, Cynthia Ozick, Terrence McNally, Marsha Norman, Chris Durang, Rick Dresser and Diane Paulus, featuring performances by Cherry Jones, Alan Alda, Diane Weist, Richard Dreyfus, Mercedes Ruehl, and Twiggy, among many others.

Productions Steve has directed include Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, starring Alec Baldwin and Laurie Metcalf, at the John Drew Theatre (2015) and the world premiere of Ira Lewis’ Gross Points, also starring Alec Baldwin, at Bay Street Theatre. Other directing credits include the American Premiere of Ben Woolf’s Angry Young Man at Urban Stages in NYC (2017) Neil LaBute’s The Furies at 59 E.59th Street, Yasmina Reza’s Art, Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmaan, and John Logan’s Red, all at the John Drew Theatre, and Quack Theatrics production of Martin McDonagh’s The Lonesome West at the Stephen Talkhouse.

Steve performed extensively as an actor in film, television, Off-Broadway and in regional theaters across the country, including: Lincoln Center Theatre, Circle in the Square, Soho Rep, The Actor’s Studio, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Capitol Rep, Alliance Theatre of Atlanta, and the Arizona Theatre Company.

Steve has taught acting for over 30 years, for Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City, at Bay Street, and now as a faculty member of Southampton Graduate Arts, where he also serves as Director of The Southampton Theatre Conference. In addition, Steve maintains a private coaching practice for actors at his studio in Sag Harbor.

Steve is married to writer/producer and Bay Street co-founder Emma Walton Hamilton, and the couple live year-round in Sag Harbor, NY. They have two children, Sam and Hope.