Classes for Thespians, Thespians in the Making and Everyone Else

Bay Street Theater will offer a fall line-up of classes and workshops with something for everyone in the community, including actors, nonactors, aspiring actors, comedians, dancers, clowns and wellness enthusiasts.

“After a busy summer conducting camps with participants from around the world, it’s always great to return to our fall offerings where we will once again provide varied and quality educational experiences for beloved locals,” said Allen O’Reilly, the theater’s director of education and community outreach.

Classes include:

“Annie Jr.” for ages 7 and up (including adults) directed by Bethany Dellapolla. Saturdays, September 16 to October 28, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a performance Monday, October 30, 4 to 7 p.m. at Bay Street. $300.

Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, with a book and score by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, “Annie Jr.” features everyone’s favorite little redhead in her very first adventure. With featured roles and ensemble parts, “Annie Jr.” culminates with a performance on the Bay Street stage.

“Stress Relief Workshop” for ages 14 and up with Angelika Ahrens. Saturday, September 23, 10 a.m. to noon. $125.

Actors often stress about everything — this workshop provides a toolbox of simple stress relief techniques, for everybody, not only actors. You will learn how to ground yourself, reach your goals, gain self-confidence, reduce stress, and connect your body and mind.

“Clown Curious for Kids” ages 9 to 13 with Reverend Barbara Ann Michaels. Saturday, September 30, 10 a.m. to noon. $125.

Everyone is funny because humor is part of being human. Come discover how to be yourself and create positive humor and laughter with other kids (and grown-ups) 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.

“Clown Curious for Adults” ages 18 and up, 9 to 13 with Reverend Barbara Ann Michaels. Saturday, September 30, 10 a.m. to noon. $125. The session is at Christ Church in Sag Harbor.

Clown theater is a hilarious and deeply vulnerable art form. It’s also personally transformative because 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.

“Think You’re Funny?” ages 21 and up with Paul Anthony. Mondays, October 16 to November 27, from 7 to 9 p.m. $250.

Have you ever thought about trying stand-up comedy? Do people tell you you’re funny? Join in a fun, hands-on intensive and go behind the curtain to learn from the ground up about becoming a stand-up comedian. Special guest comedians will visit the class to give students additional insight into the world of stand-up comedy.

“Touch Dancing” for ages 18 and up with Alphonso Triggiani. Tuesdays, October 3 to November 21, 6:30 to 8 p.m. $250 ($40 drop-in rate per class).

Under the guidance of Touch Dancing Artistic Director Alphonso Triggiani and his associates, participants will learn “real dancing for real people” and will focus on aspects of “social dancing” as opposed to competitive ballroom dancing. Open to both beginners as well as experienced dancers, this class will cover the disciplines of disco, Latin and smooth along the way

“Everything Voice-Over” with Allen O’Reilly. Wednesdays, October 4 to November 22, 7 to 9 p.m. $250 ($40 drop-in rate per class).

In this eight-week offering, participants will have the opportunity to dig into the lucrative world of voice-over. The class will be broken into four parts: radio spots, the study of accents. Also, audiobooks and animation voice-overs are a part of the curriculum, and both of those sessions will feature special guests. At the final session, participants will be able to record a radio spot, dialect monologue, or audiobook sample of their choice at a local studio

“On-Camera Scenework” for ages 16 and up with Meghan Rafferty. Saturdays, October 14 to November 18 (no class November 11), 10 a.m. to noon. $300 ($80 drop-in rate per class).

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.

To enroll in any of these classes, visit baystreet.org or call 631-725-9500. For additional information on any classes contact Allen O’Reilly at allen@baystreet.org.