Famous actor Steve Guttenberg meets his elementary school teacher again

SAG HARBOR, NY — The hopes and dreams a teacher instills in a young child's heart can last a lifetime. And even when the years pass and that young boy grows up to become a famous Hollywood actor, when the two meet again, the bond sometimes remains strong, spanning decades and miles.

Acclaimed actor Steve Guttenberg, now starring in his autobiographical play “Tales from the Guttenberg Bible” at the Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts in Sag Harbor, has soared with films such as “Diner,” “Cocoon,” ” Three Men And A Baby” and the “Police Academy” franchise.” But no matter how far his talent took him from his childhood roots in Massapequa, Guttenberg never forgot the people who symbolized home.

That's why he was happy Thursday night to reunite at the Bay Street Theater with his former Plainedge Elementary School teacher, Diane Lewis, 91. Lewis, who now lives in Sag Harbor, was equally pleased.

“I was excited about the opportunity to reconnect with my teacher, Mrs. Lewis,” Guttenberg said. “Not only did he impart knowledge in the classroom, but he was also instrumental in fostering my passion for the arts. The Plainedge Playhouse” — which Lewis helped create — “holds a special place in my heart. And the opportunity to reunite with Ms. Lewis after all these years is truly a gift.”

Gail, Lewis' daughter, actually called the theater and set up the meet and greet. “He had a blast!” Gail said of her mom. “So many shared memories – and she couldn't stop gushing over Steve and his show.”

As for Lewis, seeing her former student grown up and a Hollywood star was “great,” she said. “It was so exciting to see him again.”

Guttenberg was about 9 years old when he was in her class. she was teaching grades 1 to 6 at the time. “I think I had him in fourth grade. I remember him and I said, 'You were really smart in school,'” she said. “He was one of the smart kids, one of the best readers and good at math. He was just pleasant, always helpful and always asking questions.”

He added: “He was the kind of kid you liked to have in your class – no worries, no problems.”

Lewis said she hopes she and Guttenberg will speak again soon, as there wasn't much time during the meet-and-greet to go back decades and appreciate distant moments.

“I have many other great memories of him,” she said.

Lewis was at the theater to see her former student perform: “Tales from the Guttenberg Bible” is described as a “farcical, laugh-out-loud story,” written by Guttenberg and starring. “This is a hilarious journey from Gutenberg's family home on Long Island to the glamor of Hollywood, as Gutenberg himself says — e.g. how he broke into the Paramount Lot — to his run-ins with everyone from Paul Reiser to Tom Selleck to Kevin Bacon. to Merv Griffin. It would be an incredible fairy tale if it weren't (mostly) true.”

Lewis, who has spent time helping backstage at the Bay Street Theater herself, was impressed by Guttenberg's performance. “I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said. “He did such a good job of telling the story. It was very cleverly done. And, of course, knowing Steve and his family background, it made it very touching — and sad.”

Lewis, in fact, spoke to Guttenberg about her thoughts on the show, telling him how moved he was by the way she honored his late father in his performance. “It was very emotional,” he said.

Guttenberg, he said, has grown from a little boy to a “very warm person with a big heart. It's always nice to get a taste of the past.”

Speaking about her experience with the Plainedge Playhouse in Bethpage, Lewis said one of the school buildings had been turned into a community center. “We built a non-profit theater,” he said. “I was one of the founders.” During her involvement in the theater, Lewis acted, made sets, sewed costumes. “Say it,” he said.

Her children were also involved in the productions, she said.

“One day, the phone rang and it was Steven,” Lewis said with a smile in her voice. “He said, 'Hey! I'm Steve Guttenberg.” I said, “I remember you, you were in my class.” He said, “I have a question: Why didn't you have that theater while I was there?”

But when the theater was founded, Lewis said, “It was too late for Stephen—he had gone to Hollywood.”

Watching his success over the years has been very exciting, Lewis said. “It's always heartwarming to have any student do so well — to know that you had some small role, perhaps, in their education in some way. If I taught him how to read, now he can read his scripts. That's a plus! she laughed.

Lewis talked about the bonds teachers have with their students, even after so many years, with grown children coming back years later.

“A friend of mine, a fellow teacher, had a bumper sticker that said, 'If you can read this, thank you teacher,'” Lewis said. “That's always been one of my favorite bumper stickers.”

Guttenberg, he said, thanked her for her influence on his life.

“She said I was a special education teacher,” she said. “That was so sweet. That he remembered me!”

The pair then talked about all the other teachers they knew. “One of the other gentlemen on the project also knew some of the teachers we were talking about,” Lewis said. “It was like an old week at home.”

Reflecting on the memories and faces, he said, made them all vivid in their minds. “Seems like yesterday — and I'll be 92 on my next birthday!” Louis said.

Lewis said she was thrilled to learn her daughter had arranged to see Gutenberg again.

“She said, 'Mom, you're always talking about Steven in your class.' While I was out of the house she got on the phone to the theater and told them I would love to see Steven again. I never expected him to. I got home and he had written me a note saying I was ready to meet Steven after the show. I said, 'What?'”

Lewis described seeing her once-star student again in the theater's green room.

“The best part of the experience is just seeing the person, after all these years. You look to see where he is, the part you remember. It's in his smile and in his eyes – that's Steven.”

He added: “I've had this happen with other people; there's such a change from age 9, to 29, to 60. All of a sudden, you look at that face, and something shows. I think he might have seen it in my face too, for he seemed to recognize me.'

Her hair is now short, she said. back then, it was a lot.

“He was very kind, very charming and very honest,” Lewis said. “He really comes across as a very open and loving person.”

Guttenberg, he said, didn't seem changed by the fame. “He was so excited, like a little boy, saying, 'My teacher is here!'” Lewis said.

And then he added: “He asked me, 'How are you going home?'

She told him that she had brought her car and was driving alone.

Then, he said, “I have to walk you to your car,” Lewis said. “It was very touching. I felt very loving and very gentle. And it matched the 'Tales from the Guttenberg Bible' part. That was him, on stage and off. He doesn't change.”

The show will now run until August 27. Single seat tickets are currently available starting at $49.99. To purchase tickets, visit the box office, open daily from 11am. up to 30 minutes before the show, call 631-725-9500 or visit baystreet.org online 24/7.