Bay Street Theater’s Literature Live Ignites Young Minds

It’s a November morning… the lights fade inside Bay Street Theater, and a hush settles over rows of high school students. Silenced phones disappear into pockets as hundreds of young eyes focus on the stage. Within moments, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 ignites before them — fire, light, and language colliding in a story about courage, curiosity, and the cost of complacency! For many in attendance, this is their first experience with live theater. For all, it is an unforgettable one.

This impact is the heart of Literature Live!, Bay Street’s flagship educational initiative. Now in its 16th year, the program brings professional theatrical productions of literary classics to thousands of students across Long Island — free of charge. What began as a modest idea has grown into one of the region’s most influential arts education programs, with more than 85,000 students and teachers reached since its inception. Each autumn, classrooms give way to the stage, where stories written decades ago feel startlingly urgent and relevant.

“It’s about access,” explains Tracy Mitchell, Bay Street’s Executive Director. “Every student, no matter their background, deserves to experience live theater and to feel storytelling come alive in front of them, to feel the connection that happens in that shared space.” The program provides not only complimentary tickets but also curriculum-aligned study guides and talkbacks with the actors — transforming a field trip into a deeply meaningful learning experience.

This year’s Literature Live! production, Fahrenheit 451, directed by Bay Street co-founder Stephen Hamilton, may be the most resonant yet. Bradbury’s searing classic centers on fireman Guy Montag, who begins to question his role in a society where books are banned and firemen ignite flames rather than fight them. In a world overwhelmed by noise, distraction, and instantaneous information, Montag’s search for meaning feels uncomfortably familiar — and profoundly necessary.

Leading the cast is John Kroft as Guy Montag, bringing nuance and urgency to the role of a man torn between duty and conscience. J. Stephen Brantley portrays Captain Beatty, Montag’s commanding officer and philosophical adversary, while Daniela Mastropietro appears as Mildred Montag, whose devotion to comfort and conformity begins to fracture. Sag Harbor native and Literature Live alumna Anna Francesca Schiavoni plays Clarisse McClellan, the spark who awakens Montag’s imagination.

Rounding out the company are Bonnie Comley as the Good Morning Show Host & Mary Shelly, Matthew Conlon as Faber, Nicole Marie Hunt as Mrs. Hudson, Stewart F. Lane as The Family Theater Show Attorney & J.R.R. Tolkien, and Dan Pavacic as Fireman Black & Aristotle.

The production’s creative team includes scenic and projection design by Mike Billings, costume design by Yuka Silvera, fight direction by Rick Sordelet, production stage management by Chris Daly, and assistant direction by Brian Clemente. For Hamilton, returning to the stage he helped found more than three decades ago, Fahrenheit 451 is a reminder of what theater does best: confront urgent questions with immediacy and humanity. Literature Live! ensures that the next generation experiences that power firsthand.

None of it would be possible without Bay Street’s donors and sponsors, whose generosity covers every ticket and every bus, making each moment of discovery accessible to all. Their support fuels not only a program — but a spark! To learn more see: www.BayStreet.org

Photo credit: Phil Merritt

Long Island Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. INTO THE WOODS (Post Theatre Company)

8.7% of votes

2. HAIRSPRAY (Five Towns College Performing Arts Center)

7.5% of votes

3. FOOTLOOSE (John W. Engeman Theater)

6.9% of votes

Vote Now!