When he teaches acting classes, one of the first things Ben Vereen asks his students is more practical than inspirational.
"You're bringing your monologues and songs -- but why?" he wants to know. "We will answer that question," he tells them. "My job is very easy. I'm the portal for you."
Staring on Monday, the veteran stage and screen actor will bring his multidimensional talents and teaching philosophy to Sag Harbor's Bay Street Theater, leading an eight-week virtual masterclass on acting. Mr. Vereen is a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winner who has had leading roles in "Pippin," "Wicked," "Fosse," "Hair" "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "Jelly's Last Jam," among other Broadway shows.
He starred alongside Richard Gere in the film "Time Out of Mind," and his recent television credits include a recurring role in "Sneaky Pete" and episodes of CBS's "Magnum P.I." reboot, Fox's "Star," and BET's "Tales." The versatile performer has also appeared in "Roots," "Hot in Cleveland," "Law and Order: Criminal Intent," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Lois and Clark," and too many others to list. It's safe to say his face is a familiar face, his voice a familiar voice.
He performed last summer in Bay Street's online gala, marking the beginning of a beautiful relationship that eventually led to the masterclass.
Allen O'Reilly, Bay Street's director of education and community outreach, calls Mr. Vereen "absolutely magnetic."
"What Ben brings is an international recognition that we've never had," Mr. O'Reilly said last week. "He is just an amazing person and philanthropist. His insights about the artistic process are going to be game-changers for the participants."
Normally, of course, Bay Street's classes are in-person, but a side effect of Covid-19, Mr. O'Reilly said, is that the theater can attract celebrated performers for online events that would probably have not been possible otherwise.
"I think what they do is wonderful," Mr. Vereen said of Bay Street. "They are very serious to their dedication to the arts. They go about it in that way -- in the performers, the directors, the people who come in and work with their community. They want to lift their community up."
Mr. Vereen, who is 74, does a fair amount of lifting-up himself. He recently recorded and released a song, "For Today," written for him by Steven Skeels, on an album called "Thankful." It can be found online at vimeo.com/496311441.
"When the demons are clouding your mind, you'll find peace -- it will all work out in time," Mr. Vereen sings. "Dare to dream. There is a power coming your way. Just believe, and remember, the pain is just for today."
"It is relevant to today, isn't it?" he said during an interview a few days after the song was released. "I think I'm going to put it out as my New Year's message for everybody. It's just today, we'll get through this."
Mr. Vereen is also an ambassador to the Urban Voices Project, a choral program for homeless men, and to Broadway in the Hood, an arts education program for inner-city children. He has also contributed his talents to fund-raisers for Care for the Homeless and the Actors Fund, among others.
He urged people to support the arts right now, whether as audience members, donors, or creators, calling it "a part of our lives -- not a separate part." Patrons must be diligent, Mr. Vereen said, or else national funding and political recognition of the arts will be "taken away completely . . . We've got to help them by doing our part. It's not all on them, it's on us."
Participants in the masterclass, which will run from 7 to 9 every Monday evening, should bring a song and a monologue to work on. If students are not able to sign up for the entire eight weeks, he said, they are welcome to "drop in" for a single session. The cost is $300, or $50 per class, and registration is online at baystreet.org. The minimum age to take part is 16.
"Life -- this is going to sound strange -- is an acting course," Mr. Vereen said. "It's about how deep you want to go and how real are you willing to be in your expression, on your journey. The tools we give you are things that remind your consciousness of what's already inside you -- now give it to the world. There is genius inside of us all."
More Classes
Bay Street's new classes include an acting-for-television series with Don Stephenson, beginning this week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m., through March 4. The classes, for ages 13 and up, will draw on well-known scripts to help students better understand the underlying techniques.
Allen O'Reilly, Bay Street's director of education and community outreach, will teach a class on the scenes and monologues of Shakespeare for the same age range. It begins on Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. and runs through March 17. The cost is $200.
More information and sign-up can be found on the Bay Street website.
