Vineland NJ alum Steven Calakos reveals Tony Awards highlight
VINELAND – Steven Calakos is at house at the level.
Sing, dance, act — he does all of it.
But it surely’s his ability as a instructor that gained him Broadway’s limelight.
Calakos used to be one among 19 educators national to win an Excellence in Theatre Training Award honorable point out right through the 75th annual Tony Awards. Theater Director Roshunda Jones-Koumba from G. W. Carver Magnet Prime Faculty in Houston took the highest honor.
“I discovered that my title used to be within the Playbill,” mentioned an elated Calakos, whose existence took an unscripted flip about two years in the past.
A lifelong Vinelander, Calakos made a reputation for himself functioning at better South Jersey house theaters and educating in Vineland Public Colleges study rooms.
When his existence gave the impression strong and protected, he spark off on a brand new journey that took him to the Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Florida.
“I simply took place to be informed of the Gulfshore Playhouse when I used to be taking the Vineland All-Center Faculty Productions to Dollars County Playhouse for the coed theater pageant,” he mentioned.
When the southwest Florida regional theater posted lend a hand sought after, Calakos spoke back.
“Being the director of schooling at Gulfshore Playhouse is precisely the position that I used to be on the lookout for for somewhat a while,” Calakos mentioned.
His lifetime resumé aligned with the activity necessities.
At 18, he auditioned to be the following “American Idol.”
A couple of years later, he joined the solid of NBC’s fact display “You’re the One That I Need” looking to land the lead position as Danny Zuko within the Broadway manufacturing of “Grease.”
Calakos didn’t win, however he discovered.
Pursuing his duo occupation trail, he graduated Rowan College in 2008 with bachelor’s levels in fundamental schooling and theater/kid drama.
Calakos fulfilled each objectives educating in Vineland Public Colleges whilst developing theater arts alternatives for college kids from fundamental to highschool.
He took at the Vineland All-Center Faculty spring musical after the passing of long-time director Mark Melamed and shaped the CHS Theatrical corporate that subsidized summer season theater camps.
“I truly didn’t get started functioning on level till highschool,” mentioned Calakos, now an Actors Fairness Affiliation member. “Thru my highschool, faculty, {and professional} occupation, I spotted that theater arts create higher human beings.”
“My undertaking in existence is to lend a hand scholars and adults see the worth in theater and the way useful it’s to our society,” he mentioned.
That philosophy mirrors his activity description at Gulfshore Playhouse.
“Now not best am I directing the coed productions on the theater, truthfully that’s now not the largest a part of my activity,” he mentioned. “I’m in large part chargeable for offering skilled construction for academics within the heart faculties and top faculties to toughen and expand their theater arts methods.”
“It’s difficult me in ways in which I wasn’t as a lecture room instructor,” he mentioned.
VIDEO:Scenes from Vineland Prime Faculty Magnificence of 2022 commencement
FEEL GOOD:Vineland to honor ‘Pop’ Pacheco with parade, key to town
BIZ:Making it his industry, Vineland Prime pupil launches clothes emblem, Attempt or Starve
It wasn’t the smoothest transition taking a role in theater and schooling simply as an endemic close faculties and shuttered phases.
The pandemic brought on Gulfshore Playhouse to slash their team of workers via 90 p.c however Calakos used to be spared. He became his consideration to their program known as “Suppose Theater,” a supplemental useful resource to lend a hand educators to find ingenious tactics to show the state requirements.
“I began writing curriculum,” Calakos mentioned. “I began writing classes Ok-12, math, social research, language arts, science, the entire core content material spaces however throughout the lens of theater arts.”
“We created digital lesson plans,” he mentioned.
The ones classes are being applied in East Coast study rooms, together with the Bridgeton Public Faculty District’s 21st Century Studying Program for college kids grades 4-8.
One lesson is a bridge between math and the Yellow Brick Street.
“Ding! Denominator! The Witch is Lifeless” is a Wizard of Oz. themed lesson occupied with fractions and graphing.
“It’s now not extra paintings for the trainer, it’s supposed to lend a hand them and make the teachings extra attractive and fascinating,” Calakos mentioned.
His paintings didn’t move left out.
My undertaking in existence is to lend a hand scholars and adults see the worth in theater and the way useful it’s to our society.
Steven Calakos
When calls went out for theater educator nominees forward of 2022 Tony Awards rite, Gulfshore Playhouse founder and generating inventive director Kristen Coury submitted her director of schooling for attention.
The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon College provide the once a year award and honorable mentions to these inspiring a brand new technology of theater ability.
“I used to be excited to appoint Steven Calakos as a result of I knew he used to be the ‘complete bundle,” Coury mentioned. “A former in-school educator for 11 years, he had based his personal theatre corporate generating pupil displays, is a brilliant director, and an all-around nice man.”
“He has larger the standard, accessibility, and breadth of our programming since he arrived, and I don’t have any doubt there’s extra at the horizon as we transfer into our new theatre and schooling heart,” she added.
Calakos mentioned his hopes his Tony honor brings extra consideration to Gulfshore Playhouse.
Based in 2004, the regional theater is getting ready to transport into the Baker Theatre and Training Heart, the crown jewel in its $60 million new campus venture. A groundbreaking used to be held in December with a projected December 2023 opening.
“We now have a whole wing devoted to schooling,” Calakos mentioned. “There are study rooms and practice session areas.”
“My activity now — that is our transition duration — is to plot our schooling productions for the primary season we’re within the new development and the categories we’re providing all over the day and night for college kids of every age,” he mentioned.
“A category right through the day might be our Broadway Child elegance the place a caregiver comes with their infant,” he mentioned. “They’re presented to musical theater, tools, and making a song.”
“Naples is a huge retirement neighborhood, we’ve folks from all walks of existence who love the humanities and wish to proceed taking categories,” he mentioned, taking a look to provide grownup tapdancing classes and most likely a musical theater Pilates program.
Within the night, the middle will be offering instruction for college kids taking a look to fine-turn their theater abilities.
Calakos is raring to inspire the ones willing to pursue their very own Broadway goals.
Sooner or later they may see their title revealed within the Playbill.
Calakos, a steadfast theater fanatic, is hoping to attain his personal replica of that Tony Awards program saying his honor.
“eBay has one for $20, he mentioned. “After all, I’m going to shop for one.”
Deborah M. Marko covers breaking information, public protection, and schooling for The Day by day Magazine, Courier-Publish and Burlington County Instances. Were given a tale concept? Name 856-563-5256 or e-mail [email protected] Apply on Twitter: @dmarko_dj Instagram: deb.marko.dj Lend a hand toughen native journalism with a subscription.
