District, Theater Company Say They're Excited About Partnership

The Barnegat Township School District is finalizing a contract with the newly formed Ocean Professional Theatre Company that will , and both parties say they're excited about the agreement.

Steve Steiner, director of the new performing arts nonprofit and former artistic director at Surflight Theatre on LBI, said OPTC looked at a number of options before settling on Barnegat. The high school offered a lot to be excited about, he said. 

"It's certainly the best designed facility in the area," he said. "It was built to be able to expand its capabilities," from an electric setup that can handle more lights as needed and a sophisticated curtain system. "The quality of the work that we're going to be able to do is enhanced by the capabilities of the space," Steiner said.

Also a big plus is the established drama program at the school, he said. Drama and stagecraft teacher Kerry DeBari has fostered great talent in Barnegat, said Steiner, and OPTC is looking forward to including students in its productions through programs designed to give them experience working with professional actors.

"Where she has taken her kids is far beyond where high school kids are often taken," he said, "and that's going to help tremendously as we build an intern program" – for college-age students – "and an apprenticeship program" – for high schoolers.

And when it comes to casting younger roles in musicals and plays, "we're going to be working with Kerry to design a program that gives first shot at parts to the Barnegat students," Steiner said.

The residency-style program will allow students in grades 9 through 12 in Barnegat and nearby districts to get onstage and backstage experience tuition-free, according to a joint press release issued by OPTC and the district earlier this week.

Barnegat Schools Superintendent Karen Wood said school officials are excited about the partnership, too. 

"The Barnegat Township Schools will be able to impact our community in a positive way, bring live professional theater to southern Ocean County and expose our students to the arts and production of professional shows," she said. "It will be wonderful to afford this opportunity to our students."

The agreement will also benefit the school district financially, Wood said, though details on fees paid by OPTC won't be available until a year-long contract is signed. she said. The contract is in front of lawyers now, she said, and would be finalized soon.

Steiner's Ocean Professional Theatre Company recently produced two holiday shows in Toms River. Previously a performer and director in New York, Steiner spent twelve years as artistic director at Surflight before parting ways with the theater's leadership because of differences over how to best fix Surflight's financial problems. The LBI nonprofit announced last month that it had .

The planned 2012 season at Barnegat High School will include productions of Sunset Boulevard,Man of La Mancha, Titanic the Musical, Ring of Fire – the Music and Story of Johnny Cash, I Left My Heart – The Music of Tony Bennett and a world premiere play, The Poe Mysteries.