Staging a Change

Hauppauge High School theatre students joined with Hauppauge alumni and Long Island high school students from Kings Park, Manhasset, North Babylon Northport and South Huntington to stage their original performances at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, New York to raise funds for the Stage the Change: Theatre as a Social Voice movement. Stage the Change launches works created by students in which they can use their arts voices to help create a kinder, more understanding world.

Hauppauge High School Theatre Teacher and Stage the Change Founding Director Ruthie Pincus is thrilled that Long Island students are eager to write and share their personal perspectives through their creation of thoughtful and conversation-provoking theatre. Stage the Change: Theatre as a Social Voice was founded in 2012 by the Hauppauge Theatre Department after a staggering response to the High School’s original production of The Anti-Bully Project. A series of student-written vignettes, the production was created to address important social issues to students, including: bullying, peer pressure, healthy relationships and more. Pincus recognized early on the potential that existed to expand Stage the Change beyond the Hauppauge High School setting and to explore increasingly challenging issues of great importance to students, including: racism, LGBT acceptance, and human rights issues, to name a few, to larger audiences across Long Island.

To that end, Hauppauge launched the Stage the Change: Theatre as a Social Voice conference that offered five workshops to 200 attendees at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in 2013. By 2016, the conference had grown to offer 22 workshops to more than 600 attendees. “This remarkable growth tells us that there is, without a doubt, a need for staging changes!” said Pincus. “As we continue to grow, we plan to offer programing and opportunities throughout the year for students and educators.”

The next Stage the Change: Theatre as a Social Voice conference will be held on November 3, 2017, at the Tilles Center. It will feature original performances by Long Island High School students as well as Honored Guest Speakers Tony-Award Winning Playwright Terrence McNally and Five-Time Tony-Nominated Producer and Hauppauge Alumnus Tom Kirdahy.

Photos

(l to r) Congressman Thomas Suozzi, Hauppauge High School Theatre Teacher Ruthie Pincus and New York State Board of Regents Member Roger Tilles at the Stage the Change: Theatre as a Social Voice fundraiser that was held at the John W. Engeman Theater at Northport.

(l to r) Hauppauge High School students Meaghan Smith, David Fresolone and Carter Rogan performed at the Stage the Change: Theatre as a Social Voice fundraiser that was held at the John W. Engeman Theater at Northport.