An OCU grad will serve as interim production coordinator for the School of Theatre for the spring 2021 semester.
Andrew Tompkins Lewis, OCU alumnus, made his transition from student to faculty member a month after graduating in fall to temporarily fill a role previously occupied by Angela Polk, his former boss.
“Angela Polk helped create and flagship this position by taking on a variety of responsibilities, including acquiring rights for School of Theatre and Out of the Box productions, organizing senior showcases and managing various social media programs,” Lewis said.
Lewis said he was given a rare opportunity to directly assist Polk for three and a half years with the School of Theatre work study program. He said the work study students were given various responsibilities, many of which aligned with Polk’s work.
After Polk’s departure from the School of Theatre in the fall of 2020, Lewis said he decided to reach out to the deans of the School of Theatre and the Wanda L. Bass School of Music about the possibility of fulfilling Polk’s position temporarily after his graduation in December.
“I had to go through the formal hiring process: filling out an application and provide references. It was a several month-long process to officially earn the position,” Lewis said.
Lewis said he believes his greatest asset in his pitch for filling the position was his close relationship with the way Polk worked during his time as one of her assistants.
“One of the things I knew I was going to be able to offer the school in this job was continuity. I knew I could mimic her work style and help the school build upon what Angela has already created. What I didn’t want to do was start from scratch,” Lewis said.
Lewis said his interim role as production coordinator is currently set to end after the spring semester.
He said he still plans to pursue a career in acting after his contract with the School of Theatre, but he is thankful to have continuity and stability right out of college during a turbulent time for artists. He said he can’t be sure where his career will take him, but he is looking forward to the behind-the-scenes experience the position will provide.
“I could not imagine a better step for me into this industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Going from work study my freshman year to now having this opportunity is beyond anything I ever imagined,” Lewis said.
Zachary Prall, acting senior, was one of Polk’s work study assistants and assistant showcase coordinator along with Lewis. He said Polk was in charge of many logistical facets within the School of Theatre, making her work-study students uniquely qualified to fill her shoes.
“Andrew specifically worked with her, last year especially, and really followed in her footsteps. Honestly, there’s no one else that could fill the job as well as him because he knows all the ins and outs of Angela’s job and the way she works,” Prall said.
Prall said Lewis will buy the university the time it needs to find the right person to take over the job when Lewis’s contract ends.
“Obviously, Andrew isn’t Angela, and he isn’t trying to be her, but I think he has done a great job already filling her shoes. You know, if he runs into any problem, he is always going to have people like me to fall back on, and as a result I think it’s going to be a solid semester with him,” Prall said.
Prall said he will be assistant showcase coordinator, and he looks forward to continuing to work with his colleague and friend.
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