Arts Academy Faculty

Justin Harris

Justin is a 2024 Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre Education Honorable Mention and East End performer, director, writer, stage manager, choreographer et al. He is also a masterful teaching artist working with actors of all ages from Manhattan to Montauk and of course the beloved North Fork with various organizations including A Class Act NY and Hamptons Shakespeare Festival. In addition to his extensive performance resume, Justin is a graduate of Brown University in Neuroscience as a J. Saunders Redding 1928 Scholar. While attending Brown, Justin also studied acting, directing, technical theatre, music, and various dance genres. Notable Brown performance experiences include Mariachi de Brown (trumpet), The Bear Necessities (a capella group) – “Visions” album currently on music streaming services, and Divine Rhythm step dance team (captain and choreographer). With Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), Justin served as an administrative program management assistant in the company as well as an associate in audience development. At OSF, he performed in several readings including “The Every 28 Hours Play Project” and Holly Yasui’s “Citizen Min,” based on the life of her father and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Minoru Yasui. OSF granted Justin the opportunity to work alongside numerous theatrical professionals and artists that concluded with the co-coordination the 5^th National Asian American Theaters and Artists ConFest produced by The Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists. Notable direction and choreography include the Long Island Premiere of Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s musical, “Bright Star.” Justin is dedicated to the art of storytelling in all forms and the intersectional healing, inspiration, and justice accessible between actor, artist, and audience. Some of Justin’s favorite acting credits include Officer Derek Jeter “Welcome To Arroyo’s” at American Repertory Theater, Emcee “Cabaret” (Broadway World Award Winner), Chutes&Ladders “Water By The Spoonful,” and several Shakespearean characters – Othello, Bottom, First Witch, Brutus, Feste, Lucio and others.

Peter A. Pece

Peter holds a Ph.D. in the field of Neuromusicology, where he examined issues involved in how the brain processes music, memory, and language. He has been involved in Education for the last 52 years as a teacher and administrator. In addition to his doctoral work, Dr. Pece received a B.M. from Berklee College of Music majoring in Composition and jazz piano. He has an M.S. and C.A.S. from Hofstra University (1975, 1982) and is currently a lecturer at Stony Brook University where has been since 2004. At Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, he has been musical director of their Children’s Theater since 1993 where he was musically directed over 80 productions. Peter has performed at Lincoln Center as well as the famed Friar’s Club in New York City and has arranged and performed musical revues for former President Bush (41) and former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. At Stony Brook, Dr. Pece teaches classes on diverse topics such as; music and neurologic function, the pre-adolescent/ educational psychology/methods and a course on the Foundations of Education entitled Effective Professional Thinking. In May, 2019 he was awarded the prestigious Bentley Glass-Mortimer Kreuter Excellence in Teaching award from Stony Brook Universities School of Professional Development. He has been a consultant and teaching/artist with the Creative Aging Project at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center since 2010 musically directing a program entitled “Melodies and Memories” and has worked out of St. Charles Hospital and Southampton Hospital where he accompanied their Therapeutic Chorus for patients who have Parkinson’s Disease. Dr. Pece has worked for three years on an individual basis with an Alzheimers patient using music as a means of fostering memories and past experiences. Peter is an accomplished composer of neoclassical and cinematic music. His debut album, The Breath of Shadow, was released through Wildwood Productions LLC and is available on all major streaming platforms.

Fred Raimondo

Currently recording his third solo album, Cinema with Grammy winning producer Cynthia Daniels, singer-songwriter Fred Raimondo has been writing songs for well over 30 years. He is a regular performer at many of the Island’s musical venues including clubs such as the Stephen Talkhouse, 89 North and 230 Down as well as performing at many songwriter showcases and house concerts. Fred is also working on a stage production of Stories From The Dark Heart Tavern with Director and actor, Greta Quezada. His 2014 release Stories From The Dark Heart Tavern made a number of top 10 lists, notably top 10 of 2014 by No Depression a leading site on Americana and Roots music as well as being selected as one of the top 5 albums of 2014 by WPPB’s Bonnie Grice. Produced by Fred, Pete Kennedy and Caroline Doctorow, Stories From The Dark Heart Tavern is a collection of songs that captures the feelings, stories and music of the people who frequent The Dark Heart Tavern, a place found in every American town and city. In December 2017 Fred released his second solo album Little Flower with Caroline Doctorow and Pete Kennedy again co-producing. Fred has performed at clubs and colleges throughout the Northeast and his songs have been played on national, local and international radio and internet music programs. Stories From The Dark Heart Tavern was in the top 25 Folk album charts in 2014 and Little Flower did the same in 2018. As a member of the original acoustic trio Damaged Goods, Fred shared the stage with acts as iconic and diverse as Jorma Kaukonen, Taj Mahal, Rick Danko, Maria Muldar, Joe Ely, Suzanne Vega, Roger McGuinn, Donovan, Aztec Two Step and The Marshal Tucker Band. He still regularly performers with Damaged Goods and the cosmic surf band The Woodworkers. He has been a frequent featured artist at Sag Harbor’s Songwriters Share, The Homegrown Music Cafe,Underground Sound at 230 Down, Nancy Atlas’ Songwriters In The Round, Original Voices at The Vail, and Cynthia Daniel’s Crossroads.

Kasia Klimiuk

Kasia Klimiuk is a New York-based arts educator, director and performer. She received her MA in Applied Theatre from the City University of New York as well as her NY State Certification in Theatre K-12 at the City College of New York. Kasia has been performing in various mediums for over 25 years, as an improviser, actor, dancer, and singer. Over the last ten years, she has been working as a director and producer with her own theatre company, Our Fabulous Variety Show (OFVS), which she co-founded with Anita Boyer in October 2010. The company has produced over 26 theatrical productions and small showcases throughout the eastern end of Long Island since its inception, with both Kasia’s direction and playbuilding expertise, and provides inclusive and accessible arts programming at their new studio space, “OFVS at Shine” in Bridgehampton. She is the Teeny Awards Coordinator for East End Arts, which is also known as the Tony Awards for eastern Long Island high school theatre. She is also a teaching artist with New York City Children’s Theater, Marquis Studios, Bay Street, Shine, and the WHBPAC. She has a great deal of experience devising original work, teaching basic acting skills, and facilitating theatre programs for young people from ages 4 to 18 as well as with adults. She believes theatre has the power to transform and transcend into all aspects of our lives and loves using it as a tool to express, enlighten and activate.