The Bedford Acting Group is

the group of actors, crew and directors that produce the theater productions of Bedford Middle School in Westport, CT. Led by Ryan Smith, the Bedford Acting Group typically produces a 7th & 8th grade musical in the fall and a 6th grade play in the spring. For a detailed description of Bedford Acting Group, please read below:

Overview:  

The Bedford Acting Group is the theater club at Bedford Middle School for 6th-8th Grade students.  It typically provides the opportunity for cast & crew to participate in the:

• Fall 7th & 8th Grade Musical

• Spring 6th Grade Play/Musical (includes opportunity for 8th grade student directors)

• Late spring 7th & 8th Grade Acting Workshop (cast opportunity only)

Bedford Acting Group gives cast members the opportunity to act, sing and dance and crew members the opportunity to learn and use technical crew skills, including props work, set building, scene changes, lighting and more. In BAG fall and spring shows, there is a role for any student who wishes to join BAG’s cast or crew, and it is a fun experience for those who want to casually dabble in theater as well as long term theater buffs who prepare in their spare time to compete for the lead roles. Bedford Acting Group is one of the largest, if not the largest, club at Bedford Middle School, with participation of around ~120 students in the most recent school year.  Director Ryan Smith has been working with Bedford Acting Group for over 20 years and has the assistance of choreographers, music/voice directors, assistant directors, as well as crew and production professionals as needed to teach and supervise at rehearsals for the various shows.  There is extensive parent volunteer involvement throughout the theater season and during show weekends, as Bedford Acting Group shows have drawn up to 2600+ audience members per show, including traveling family members and patrons from across Fairfield County.  Other fun parts of joining BAG include logowear spirit days at BMS, accepting special invitations to Staples Players events (Middle School Night at their musicals and Staples black box performances with Q&A), and possible outside field trips.

Opportunities:

7th/8th Grade Musical: Typically there is a late fall 7th & 8th Grade Musical that kicks off in early September with a parent/student information session and auditions, in which students are given the chance to express preferences on roles they are interested in, shortly after.  Once the show is cast in mid-late September, weekly rehearsals (students are called anywhere from 1-5 times per week depending on their role) are scheduled taking into account student availability throughout late September, October and November.  The last two weeks before the show are always “no conflict” weeks, during which the director expects students to make our extended hour rehearsals the priority over other activities so that we can do full show run throughs and dress rehearsals with the entire cast before performing in front of the public.  In 2023, the Fall 7th/8th Grade Musical will be the weekend of December 1st-3rd with “no conflicts allowed” for daily rehearsals the weeks of Nov 13th-17th and Nov 27th-30th. There will be rehearsals on the Monday and Tuesday auditions, but those are not considered “no conflict” dates.  Auditions will take place September 11th-13th.  

6th Grade Musical & 8th Grade Student Directing: Typically there is a 6th grade spring play that kicks off auditions and rehearsals just before or after winter break.  Once the show is cast, weekly rehearsals (students are called anywhere from 1-5 times per week depending on their role) are scheduled throughout January, February and March.  The last two weeks before the show are always “no conflict” weeks, during which the director expects students to make BAG extended hour rehearsals the priority over other activities so that he can do full show run throughs and dress rehearsals with the entire cast before performing in front of the public. Experienced 8th Grade Bedford Actors are invited to apply for student director roles in assisting throughout the 6th grade play. The 2024 Spring 6th Grade play dates are March 15-17th with “no conflict” rehearsals the weeks of March 4th-8th and 11th-14th.  Audition dates will be released via a school wide email.

7th & 8th Grade Acting Workshop: This is a month-long program for performers looking for a theatrical challenge.  Cast members will perform songs and scenes selected by the director.  The material is geared toward higher skill levels and in-depth character work.