Steven Fogell leaves a creative legacy, revitalized theater school.

Actors are told to “leave them wanting more.”

And it was unlikely that Bainbridge Performing Arts would have ever tired of Steven Fogell, who has resigned from his position as BPA theater school director.

“The creativity that he brought to the theater school program exceeded (what had been done before),” said Kim Atkins, BPA’s audience services manager. “It spilled over.”

“We’re going to miss him greatly,” agreed Mark Sell, BPA’s acting managing director. “His energy and devotion to kids was unsurpassed.”

Atkins credits Fogell’s dedication to bringing the school from “shakey enrollment” nine years ago to maximum capacity in recent years.

He directed mainstage productions like last season’s sold-out “Cabaret,” was involved in the community outreach program and lent a creative hand to BPA’s marketing and branding efforts.

Of his departure, Fogell said, “It was a personal decision, wanting to make a change. I think for BPA, it was a time when things were in place, and (leaving) wasn’t going to leave them high and dry.”

Watching kids grow up and become more self-assured through theater was the highlight of the school for him.

“Kids (coming back) and asking for college recommendations that were in the theater school at age 9… it was amazing who these kids became as young adults,” he said.

Atkins says Fogell set up the theater school to succeed without him, leaving a strong curriculum, good teachers and solid relationships with students.

“He brought in great teachers and let them fly,” Atkins said. “He was a hands-on guy, but didn’t need to have to have full control of everything.”

Fogell wrote adaptations for the theater school plays, taking classic stories and molding them to accommodate 20-30 roles.

He was also active in the BPA’s outreach program, which took hour-long shows tailored to specific grades and reached out to kids in an educational way, whether at the BPA or going out to the Seattle Art Museum and other venues.

Fogell was also well-known for shows he directed.

“Directing mainstage shows, that was an amazing experience,” Fogell said. “’Cabaret’ and ‘Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat’ were experiences I’ll never forget. When you take on a dream, there’s always a difference between the dream and the actual.

“Those two (shows) exceeded even my imagination. People were amazing.”

Said Atkins, “We always got a little extra when he directed. He gave 150 percent. He had a great eye. Steven would take an overall vision and take us all through (what it took) to make an event take place: posters, invitation cards, set design… His creativity, we’re going to miss it a lot.”

Although a Seattle resident for 16 years, Fogell says leaving BPA makes him feel as if he has moved to a new city because he used to spend his days, evenings and weekends on the island.

“The people I worked with were such a family,” Fogell said. “(Leaving) was like moving away from your family. Especially Kim and Mark, they are such an extension of my life.”

Fogell may return to guest-direct a few shows, but for now he is working on getting some of the plays he wrote for the theater school published and taking time off.

“I’m not sure what direction I want to go, (but) I’m sure theater will be involved to some degree,” he said.

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Curtain rising

Steven Fogell will be back on the island for the opening of his art show with poet Bonnie Wallace at the Playhouse gallery in October. An artists reception will be held 5-7 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Playhouse. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross to help Hurricane Katrina victims.