Lighting the Way

Major dance parties have long held profound social, emotional, and cultural significance within the gay community. In many ways, they are rituals of freedom, resistance, and belonging, that are deeply woven into the fabric of LGBTQ+ culture. Over time, this spirit has given rise to some of the most spectacular and imaginative celebrations in the world.

Roseland Ballroom 2014. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

From the legendary Saint at Large events to the internationally acclaimed Pines Party, Guy Smith has been at the heart of this evolution. With his unique blend of technical mastery, psychological insight, and creative vision, he has crafted immersive experiences that evoke joy, liberation, and connection. For more than three decades, his work has been, in his own words, “essential, powerful, and magical”— leaving a lasting and transformative impact on all who have stepped into his light.

Born in Nashville in 1970 to an Israeli mother and a father from Alabama, Guy grew up between the United States and Israel, learning to speak Hebrew before English.

Guy’s mother, Ruthi Arbitman in 1961 (Israeli Defense Force) Photo courtesy of Smith family.

A “geeky loner” who knew he was gay from an early age, Guy was always fascinated by electronics and stereo systems.

Guy Smith in High School circa 1987. Photo courtesy of Smith Family.

Guy began college at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee but found the atmosphere stiflingly homophobic. After transferring several times, he graduated from **Brandeis University** in Boston with a degree in psychology. It was during these college years that Guy found his voice as an activist. He organized outreach programs for gay and lesbian teens, attended rallies, and became president of the **Brandeis Gay and Lesbian Student Group**.

Guy Smith at Vanderbilt University. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

In 1991, Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, alarmed by the high rate of suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, formed a commission to make recommendations for change. Guy was invited to serve on it, working alongside Kevin Jennings, now head of Lambda Legal who founded the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The commission’s work paved the way for Gay–Straight Alliances in schools across America.

Discovering Light

To help pay for college, Guy bluffed his way onto the lighting crew at Citi, a Boston gay nightclub. What began as a side job became a lifelong vocation.

His natural talent for lighting and programming soon caught his managers’ attention, and he began working at other clubs, including **Avalon**, that the business managed.

Guy Smith and friend. Early club years. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

After graduating in 1993, Guy first used his psychology degree to work as a family therapist. However, after three emotionally exhausting years, he returned to his true passion — lighting. He went back to his old company and was hired to help restore a run-down Boston club, Venus De Milo. Here he came to see how lighting could actually shape human emotion. The mix of psychology and technology became his calling card, and he quickly rose to become technical director for several Boston nightclubs.

The Path to the Circuit

In 1996, Guy fell in love with actor Steven Alexander, then touring with Rent. He followed the tour to Minnesota and then Washington, D.C., where he landed a job as lighting designer at the legendary club Tracks. There, his artistry and command of lighting technology flourished.

When the tour ended in 1997, Guy and Steven moved to New York. He freelanced with production companies such as **See Factor** and worked at **Splash Bar**. There he learned of the **Saint at Large Black Party**, the crown jewel of New York’s gay dance scene.

Splash Bar NYC. Photo credit: Richard Burrowes

On a whim, Guy walked into the **Roseland Ballroom** on the day of the event, pretending to be part of the lighting crew.

Poster from Saint at Large Black Party 1998. Courtesy Time Out

The party’s lighting director, Richard Sabala, was a legend but in declining health. Mid-event, organizers asked Guy to step in - and he saved the night. Though unpaid, the experience earned him a mentorship under Sabala and entry into the elite world of circuit-party lighting.

Over the next several years, Guy worked with Sabala on the Black Party, White Party, and other events like the Atlantis cruises. It was in this time he developed his philosophy that lighting, sound, and décor can elevate a dance party into something transcendent that gay people craved and embraced.

*“Gay people are almost always minorities in the communities and families they grow up in,”* he explained. *“These parties gave them a place to find their people and be their authentic selves. When done right, the parties became a journey of joy, love, and liberation.”*

Guy Smith, Atlantis cruise 2001. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

Running events was hard work. However, for Guy, it wasn’t just a job; it was about creating memorable experiences that helped uplift the gay community. Former Pines resident and Saint At Large partygoer, Marshall Foster remembered:

“At the White Party in 2001, around 2 pm, I was with a group of friends swaying under the mirror ball with our arms around each other. Guy saw this and lowered the lighting dome over us creating a feeling of safety, brotherhood and love that we have never forgotten.”

Guy Smith lowering the dome at White Party 2001. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

With his background in psychology, Guy understood the spiritual energy of these events:

“Imagine searching your whole life for acceptance and then finding it. The emotion is overwhelming — joy, relief, freedom, belonging. At the parties, with the music, light, and often drugs, you’re transported to a magical place. Once you’ve been there, you want to go back.”

Dance Party. Photo courtesy of John Kardys

The Fire Island Connection

By the late 1990s, Guy’s lighting designs were a fixture on the circuit. But his heart found its home in Fire Island Pines. On a dreary spring day in 1997, he made his first visit with Steven and ended up taking shelter in the old Pavilion building. Peering through the glass doors, Guy saw the tired equipment and thought, ‘I want to do this’. He spent months persuading owner John Whyte to give him a chance, and in April 1998 he finally did.

Guy moved into staff housing on Atlantic Walk, then called *Steerage*. The place was in disrepair and when he sat down his bunk fell through the floorboards. This prompted him to stay with DJ **Michael Fierman**, beginning a lifelong friendship and collaboration.

Michael Fierman and Guy Smith. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

As summer unfolded, Guy was captivated by the Pines’ spirit of community and love.

*“The Pines is full of the most amazing, unique people,”* he said. “*Whether you’re gay, straight, or bi — if you’re part of this place, you have a queer orientation. That’s part of its magic.”*

Guy Smith. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

One day, Whyte refused him leave to work a Pavarotti show at Madison Square Garden. Guy quit the job, but not the Pines -- he returned the next year in a share house.

Building the Pines Party Legacy

In 1999, the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association (FIPPOA) launched the Pines Party, with a themed all-night beach party as its cornerstone and other satellite events throughout the weekend. Its goal was to raise funds for community causes. When the lighting designer hired for the beach party couldn’t program the board, Guy stepped in. That started a partnership with the party that continues to this day.

In the early years, the Pines Party was marginally profitable, but Guy saw untapped potential. He pitched FIPPOA President Jay Pagano and board member Dr. Ed Schulhafer to be the lead producer of the beach party. They agreed. The deal was Guy would be paid a flat fee on the condition the party raised at least $50,000. The result: $100,000 raised and the birth of a legacy.

In 2014 Allan Baum became the Pines Party’s Executive Producer, overseeing the entire weekend’s events. Together, he and Guy (who continued as producer of the beach party), along with a cadre of paid staff and volunteers, took things to a new level. They refined the event’s creative and logistical backbone, dramatically improving its profitability, while creating transformative experiences for attendees. This was no easy task as Baum notes:

“Organizing the Pines Party is a year-long, complex endeavor. The theme and production are planned well in advance, without knowing what the beach will look like when the time comes. Guy is an incredible partner: passionate, strong willed and not afraid to break a few eggs. Guy and his team are devoted to making each year’s show magical, with a strong commitment to leaving no trace behind on the beach”

Allan Baum. Photo courtesy of Allan Baum.

The team’s work has enabled the Pines Party to become a world-renowned, dazzling fantasia, blending elaborate décor, choreography, and light into immersive storytelling. Despite its international appeal, Allan and Guy have deliberately kept it a Pines-centric event, focused on the community rather than mass tourism. In this way, it has continued to attract a diverse crowd who enjoy the party in different ways.

Beyond the Pines Party

Guy’s collaborations in Fire Island extend beyond the Pines Party, including the legendary Dancing on the Bay party.

Dancing on the Bay in 2000. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

One of his most notable partnerships is with Rob Levy to take Independance, the longest running benefit dance party in the Pines, to new levels. Levy, the founder, credits Guy with bringing more sophisticated production values to the event, while keeping it community centric. Today, Guy, along with UltraMaroon, run the party that is a fixture on the Pines social calendar. As Levy notes:

“Guy brings almost a Burning Man sensibility to the event, creating a high-end, glamorous experience that attracts and caters to a crowd that is diverse in terms of age, race and gender identity. He understands how to engage multiple tribes and make them all feel welcome.”

Guy Smith at Independance. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

In addition to Independance, Guy has worked with BOFFO on art-driven events in the Pines, as well as global stars, including Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Justin Timberlake, Jake Shears and Lady Gaga. His credits include Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and Jones Beach Amphitheatre, along with cruise-ship spectaculars and international productions. The breadth of these engagements is testimony to the reputation he has developed over more than three decades.

Guy Smith, Jake Shears, Ryan McLendon and Rob Montenegro. Photoo courtesy of Guy Smith.

A Light Beyond the Dance Floor

Looking back, Guy Smith stands as both artist and architect of emotion, blending his knowledge of psychology with decades of hands-on experience as a technician, programmer, designer, and producer.

Guy Smith at Gay Pride Pier Dance in 2004. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith

His successful collaborations with promoters, DJs, and crews have resulted in experiences that take partygoers on a ‘magical journey of joy, love and discovery’. Legendary DJ, Morabito, who has known and worked with Guy for almost three decades had this to say:

“Guy and I go way back — probably to the mid-to-late 1990s. I say this with deep affection: Guy Smith is a bull in a china shop, and anyone who knows him knows exactly what I mean. He has a strong, alpha personality, he’s sharp, and he says what’s on his mind. More often than not, he says what others are thinking but won’t say aloud — and perhaps sometimes it’s best not to!

Guy Smith and Morabito. Photo courtesy of Guy Smiith.

That said, the respect is clear as she goes on to say:

“He’s a mover and a shaker. Over the years, we’ve butted heads more than a few times — probably because I’m just as strong-willed and opinionated — but in the end, we always respect where the other is coming from. I adore Guy and have tremendous respect for him. Sure, there are times I want to bop him upside the head, but I love him dearly.

There have been several occasions when I’ve had monitor problems in a DJ booth at a club he wasn’t even involved with, and he was there in a flash to help. He’s had my back — many times — over the years.

He’s a brilliant lighting tech and designer who knows how to make a room glow — and come alive. I only wish I had more opportunities to work with him in the booth.

Guy is also a visionary — instrumental in elevating the Pines Party’s production level and pushing the music scene in Fire Island Pines forward. He’s remained vital and relevant to our scene.”

When asked what the key driver to his success has been, Guy unhesitatingly credits his husband, Roberto Montenegro, a former Department of Defense engineer:

“Since 2008, he has been by my side on countless productions and events. Beyond being my unwavering source of support, he serves as our video designer and creative director, while also lending his talents as a producer and designer to other projects. Having access to his immense creativity is a true blessing, and the trust and confidence we share allow us to take risks, push boundaries, and break new ground together.”

Guy and Roberto Wedding 2008. Photo courtesy of Guy Smith.

Thirty years in any business is a long time. When asked what keeps him inspired, Guy smiles and points to his heart. For him, his work is not simply about memorable dance parties. Rather, it’s about creating environments of community, freedom, and spiritual uplift—experiences that all humans crave, yet that can be especially elusive for gay men. He knows that not everyone will understand what he’s trying to achieve and is fine with that. What matters are the ones who do, the people whose lives are touched by the light he creates.

Over the years, Guy has poured his passion and creative fire into transforming dance floors into sanctuaries—places of belonging, euphoria, and love. For those who have stood beneath his lights, he has illuminated not only the party, but also a deeper sense of home, joy, safety, and connection.

Pines Profile - Guy Smith (b. 1970)