“I would not be who I am without Adelphi….Adelphi helped me find myself; it helped me truly navigate what I wanted out of life.”
Member of Adelphi University’s 10 Under 10
Shining Studios Organization, Inc.
Founder/Executive Director
Kyle Savage ’14, MA ’15, finds strength from his connection to his community–and he uses his talents to help local neighborhoods develop these important bonds.
The sense of community was the driving force behind Savage’s decision to attend Adelphi. “I felt a vibrant spirit of community just from touring the school…. I knew that I wanted to be a part of a school that had so much life, spirit and energy to it and I could feel that always from the students and staff at AU.” And that sense of camaraderie stayed with him after graduation, becoming the inspiration for Shining Studios, Savage’s performing arts center, just a few months later.
At Adelphi, Kyle embraced campus life, finding “a world of people, activities and events that kept me engaged throughout my entire college career.” During his time on campus earning his BA and MA in a five-year Scholar Teachers Education Accelerated Program, he built bonds with his fellow Panthers that have become lifelong connections.
His professors were inspirational; the mentoring relationships Savage established with his education and theatre instructors proved vital to his career path. One such professor was Diane Caracciolo, whose innovative teaching style inspired Savage’s current approach with his students. It was in Professor Maggie Lally’s theatre class that Savage identified his true passion–when she gave him a chance to assistant direct his first production. “Every kid needs that one person to believe in them and give them that chance to prove themselves. For me, Maggie was that person, and I will forever be grateful for her.”
After graduating, Savage founded the nonprofit company, Shining Studios Organization, Inc. Its mission is to educate, enrich and entertain the youth through performing arts. What began in a church basement with nine students grew in two years to encompass 100 students and construction of a new theatre. Today, five years since graduation, Savage is the executive director, with responsibilities that include creating curriculum, securing sponsors and funding, and producing dozens of full-scale performances for Long Island children and teens annually. Shining Studios Organization, Inc. has developed over 50 musical productions, been featured in print and television media, and has grown through the sponsorship and support of local corporations, including Northwell Health, PM Pediatrics, Orange Theory Fitness, Parker Waichman LLP and more.
As a nonprofit organization, Savage views volunteerism as a huge part of the job. In previous years, proceeds from special performances have been donated to organizations such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS and more. This year, Savage organized a live-streamed virtual concert titled Hometown Heroes. Featuring all the students at Shining Studios, the event raised $10,000 for scholarships for the children of frontline COVID-19 responders, so that the kids of these heroes could attend various local arts enrichment programs.
But Savage is not satisfied yet. He established an international program in Spain called “Broadway in Mirabella,” where he travels annually to work on acting, singing, dancing and performing with multicultural students. And in 2020, he established his second company, Kyle Savage Coaching, an executive speech consulting business, and obtained his real estate license.
Shining Studios Organization, Inc. was recently named Best Theatre Arts Center on Long Island by Bethpage Best of Long Island competition. With his studio’s growing success and his latest endeavors, Savage is certainly heeding the advice he gives to current Adelphi students: “make sure you find yourself in a career path that makes you excited to wake up every single day.”