Riverhead native earns Tony Awards honor for theatre education at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center

Justin Harris, a Riverhead native, was one of 18 people across the United States to receive an honorable mention from the Tony Awards in June for a special award celebrating theatre educators. 

Harris, the arts academy director at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, was nominated by his students and co-workers for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, which is given by the Tony Awards, the American Theatre Wing’s competition for Broadway shows, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Harris’ students created a special video to send to the Tony Awards to get him nominated, he said, telling the judges why he deserved to be recognized.

“It was really heartwarming to see the students talk about me in such a way, how I impacted their lives and stuff like that,” Harris said. “One that stuck with me was one student, she said ‘I feel like nobody gets me; but Mr. Justin does get me.’”

“I know that I put a lot into the program at the performing arts center, and certainly the productions and class I teach,” Harris said. “I truly do love what I get to do, especially the hands-on parts with the kids. So to think that people are actually seeing the hard work that I put in and the success that we have had in the program, it makes me feel great and certainly honored to be lifted up in such a way.”

As an actor, it has been Harris’ dream to be nominated and win a Tony Award — one of the highest honors a theatrical performer can receive. Harris’ love of theatre started when he was in kindergarten, performing in a production of the musical “Oliver!” with the Riverhead Faculty & Community Theatre. He’s continued his passion for acting and theatre throughout his life, performing and aiding in productions across Long Island and the United States.

Harris, 31, has been at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center for nine years. He started as a part-time faculty member, was promoted to arts academy manager and became the education program’s director in June, he said. He oversees all of the performing arts center’s educational programs, including classes for children and adults, in addition to teaching several of those classes himself.

The 2011 Riverhead High School graduate said he was inspired by arts educators in college and in the Riverhead Central School District, including Sean O’Hara, the current principal of Riverhead High School who, when Harris attended, taught choir and ran the after school theatre program.

“He was one of the best arts teachers that I’ve had, and I’ve always joked that my dream job would be being [O’Hara],” he said. “Now I kind of am, in a way. And I’m very grateful for him just inspiring all of us: that theatre can be fun, as well as hard work.”

Harris said he is proud to help inspire the next generation of performers. He didn’t see too many Black men like him in the theatre growing up, he said, and it’s important that students at his school feel “loved and celebrated” while performing.

“Representation is so important,” he said. “I’m really really happy that, despite not winning, the winner of the award this year was a Black woman whose organization is a dance [studio]. It’s super super important for representation.”

The winner of the Excellence in Theater Education Award was CJay Philip, founder and creative director of Dance & Bmore Theatre Programs in Baltimore, Maryland. The winner of the award receives a $10,000 grant, an invitation to the Tonys, and a master class for their school from theatre professionals from Carnegie Mellon. All the honorable mentions, including Harris, received their names in the Tony Awards playbill.

Riverhead native Justin Harris, arts academy director at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, earned an honorable mention from the Tony Awards in June for a special award celebrating theatre educators.