Long Island's Adam Pascal ('Rent') to direct 'Something Rotten!' at Bayway in East Islip

Adam Pascal is glad that he doesn't have to travel this summer. Instead, his plans for the season involve being happily busy working as a director in the town he calls home. The Tony-nominated star of "Rent" will direct the Shakespeare-skewering musical "Something Rotten!" for From Stage to Screen, a theater academy based in Huntington, where Pascal now lives.

"To be able to live and work in the same place is a very limited luxury I’ve had very few times in my career," said Pascal, who's spent much of his career touring the country in shows and doing concerts. Performances will be Aug. 2-4 at Bayway Arts Center in East Islip. Those hoping for the chance to work with Pascal on "Something Rotten!" can submit a video audition via email to fromstagetoscreen4@gmail.com.

Last summer, Pascal made his directorial debut helming "Rent" for From Stage to Screen at Five Towns College in Dix Hills, but this year he wanted to tackle something different. "It was Adam's idea to do 'Something Rotten!,' something light and fun," said Gene Forman, owner of From Stage to Screen. "Adam and I work together and we're always exploring different opportunities together. And he had such a great experience last year directing 'Rent.' "

Pascal, who grew up in Woodbury, admitted he was nervous making his directorial debut last summer, but it proved to be rewarding, especially when it came to all the multitasking he had to do. "With community theater, lots of people wear many different hats. In addition to the directing hat, I was helping with the lights, helping with the sound, I was sweeping the stage between Act One and Act Two, I was resetting the stage for Act Two," he said. "I was doing all these things that as the lead actor in a Broadway musical I was never a part of. And it was so awesome.".

Like "Rent," Pascal, 53, is also on familiar turf with "Something Rotten" having played William Shakespeare on Broadway in the raucous musical sendup of the Bard. And while he's still working out his vision for the show, you can be sure he'll put his own spin on it. "Anyone who’s seen it has seen the big, beautiful, glitzy version and we’re going to do this fun, little, community-theater version of it, and that in and of itself is going to be so much different," he said. "I’m not going to re-imagine what this show is. I’m going to do my version of what I was in. But when you’re doing it in this sort of community-theater-esque environment, amazing, fun, exciting things happen when you don’t have access to all of that money for various things.

With one directing gig on his resume and a second in the works, Pascal said he's open to directing a professional show. "The only reason I haven’t done that is because no one’s asked me to." he joked. "I have no reservations about doing that, but I don’t think I’m really interested in directing anything new. I think I need a lot more experience as a director with existing material before I delve into trying to direct a brand-new work."