Feb. 14, 2005

Seth Lewandowski ('04) Takes Center Stage

Many recent Jepson graduates may remember seeing Seth Lewandowski (’04) perform with the University Players while he was a student at the University of Richmond. Today Lewandowski, who double-majored in leadership studies and theater, counts himself among the fortunate few who make a living as full-time actors.

In the few months since his graduation this past May, Lewandowski has acted on both a movie set and the stage. He took a job during the summer with the construction crew for “The New World,” a movie about the Jamestown settlement filmed in Charles City County and James City County, Va., less than an hour east of campus. He quickly found himself playing roles as a soldier, a carpenter and a settler, in addition to working on the construction of the Jamestown set and an Indian village set. 

The battle scenes between the settlers and Indians proved especially exhilarating, Lewandowski said. During five or six days of training for these scenes, he learned how to use replicas of Colonial-era pikes and matchlock muskets.

In battle makeup for filming of "The New World"

“The New World” will make its big-screen debut in fall 2005, according to its website, but in the meantime, theater buffs can catch Lewandowski on the stage. After wrapping up filming, Lewandowski landed a job with Richmond-based Theatre IV.

Founded in 1975 by former University of Richmond students Bruce Miller and Philip Whiteway, Theatre IV is the nation’s second-largest professional theater company for young audiences.

In addition to the lavish productions the company stages at its historic Empire Theatre in downtown Richmond, it also boasts an extensive touring repertoire which will reach nearly two million viewers in schools in 33 states during the 2004-2005 season. The touring troupe introduces school children to educational subjects in a vibrant, creative manner that enriches their learning experience.

Lewandowski knows all about touring with Theatre IV. He recently starred in Theatre IV’s adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fable “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” This innovative production set the story in America during the Revolutionary War, and Lewandowski, as one of only three actors in the show, played no less than six parts, including that of the emperor, alias King George III.

Caught in his underwear in Theatre IV's production of "The Emperor's New Clothes"

“Performing for school children is a lot of fun when the [school] administration supports you and the kids are really into it,” Lewandowski said. It can also be an intense experience with a lot of shows (usually two a day) packed into a short amount of time with short rehearsal schedules, he said.

As soon as one show closes, rehearsals for the next begin. Lewandowski is currently playing Meriwether Lewis in Theatre IV’s production “The American Adventures of Lewis and Clark.” The show has a seven-week tour schedule, taking Lewandowski to Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Virginia.

In addition to his work with Theatre IV, Lewandowski picks up the occasional side job. For example, he recently acted in a corporate-training film about racial profiling. He also plans to audition with Richmond’s acclaimed Barksdale Theatre for an upcoming production of the musical “Anything Goes.”

A native of New York, Lewandowski made the decision to stay in Richmond after graduation and build his acting resume in a place where he can live relatively inexpensively. It’s a decision that seems to have paid off. “It’s nice to have a full-time theater job and not have to work two jobs to get by,” Lewandowski said. “If the future looks bright here, I’ll stay. If not, I’ll move to one of the [New York] boroughs and try my luck there.”