Theatre professor Callis loves his work

By Jonah Unger
Staff Writer

Andy Callis is a theatre professor at LCC. He attended Eastern Michigan University while spending one year as a foreign exchange student at Bulmershe College of Higher Education in England.

He then got his Masters of Fine Arts Degree at Roosevelt University in Chicago. 

“If any student ever gets the chance to be an exchange student, take it,” Callis said.

Callis said he got hooked on theatre in junior high. He said the reason he decided to major in fine arts is because of a famous quote. 

“There's a playwright, Bernard Shaw, and he had a quote … ‘The secret to happiness is to find something you enjoy doing and spend as much time as you can doing it,’” Callis said.

His courses offerings this semester are Intro to Theatre, Theatre History and Auditions. He is also directing a play this semester. 

“It’s called ‘Everybody,’” Callis said. “It’s based on a medieval play.”

Callis has worked with LCC for 23 years. Before that he spent some time teaching in Chicago. 

He said his favorite part of his current job is the way that theatre evolves. 

“There's always new discoveries to make,” Callis said. “You’re not saying the same thing for 23 years.”

He said his favorite musical mainly depends on the production of it.

“I could see a production of a Eugene O’Neill play that I think is great, and then I could see another production where I want to leave like 10 minutes into it,” Callis said. 

He said his tastes tend to go toward intimate theatre and more serious theatre. 

“I was exposed to that in high school … We used to go to U of M in Flint and see their Black Box productions,” Callis said. 

Callis can be reached at callisa@star.lcc.edu. Questions about LCC’s Theatre Department can be answered here.