The Next Step: Paul Bakey

Editor’s note: This series will follow the summers and semesters of the returning members of the Post Theatre Company.

Few students are lucky enough to start college knowing what they want to do. For many students in the musical theatre department, their goals are set. Heading into senior year is daunting for all, but for Post Theatre Company’s (PTC) upperclassman, it’s when their hard work begins to pay off. For one senior musical theatre major, Paul Bakey, the coming semester is going to be a huge one.

Bakey explained that attending Post wasn’t on his radar in 2014 when he auditioned and applied for schools. It took a chance meeting with a Post representative to rocket this school up in his ranks.

“I was cornered in an elevator with Logan Dewitt, who was at that time a freshman at Post,” Bakey said. “She said she was recruiting for LIU Post and I thought, well I’ve never heard of that place and mentally checked out.”

Despite this, he ended up auditioning for LIU Post. David Hugo, Bakey’s freshman acting professor, told him about the program and his interest in Bakey. “

After talking to [Hugo] about it, and doing some more research, the school quickly shot up to one of my top choices,” Bakey said, “and when I got the acceptance letter is was almost a no-brainer!”

Bakey is well-acquainted with the PTC stage. After having performed in several of PTC’s productions, Bakey reflects back to his first casting in Trojan Barbie at the beginning of his sophomore year.

“I was a little nervous because I was making my PTC debut, the first show of the season.” He wanted to make a lasting first impression on the freshman class.

Bakey took on a keystone role in Spring Awakening last year playing Moritz.

“I’m just really proud of that role, it was a dream role of mine and I’m so happy I got to take on that challenge last year,” Bakey said.

Looking forward to his senior year, Bakey will be making his directorial debut assistant directing Ellen McLaughin’s Iphigenia and Other Daughters’ on the mainstage during the fall 2018 semester. “I’m really excited to be on the other side of the table,” he said, “it’ll be really nice not to have the pressure of being on the stage.”

With the “real world” of acting just around the corner for Bakey, he does see his time at Post as incredibly fruitful and is thankful for all the opportunities PTC has provided him with.

“All of our main stage directors are usually guest directors who are working in the city, great contacts!” He said. This past summer Bakey was a member of the Woodstock Playhouse in upstate New York, run by Post alumni Randy Conti.

Senior theatre production major Katherine Keaney speaks of Bakey’s success both on and off the stage. “It’s hard being a musical theatre major, so being successful in this program is not only a reflection of his talent but also of his time management,” Keaney said. “Most MT kids are taking 20 plus credits a semester.”

As for the future, Bakey is uncertain as to what it may hold.

“My first love is theatre and performing, that’s all I ever wanted to do,” he said. “But I don’t want to limit myself to just performing.”

Bakey advised freshman PTC members to trust in themselves and their ideas. He suggested that if one trusts in their process, that’s where the magic will happen.