Welcome

Eric Lewis, a director with a longstanding involvement in theater since 1975, began his journey as Chef in "Don’t Drink the Water." His career evolved into directing, where he discovered his passion for storytelling. He dedicated recent years to The Phoenix Theatre in Edmonds as the Resident Director. Post a 25-year tenure as a mail carrier in North Everett, he retired to Snohomish with his wife, Vicki, and their three cats. He takes great pride in his daughter, Olivia, who is pursuing video game design at DigiPen Institute in Redmond. With over 100 productions to his credit, some of his most cherished works include "The Lady Demands Satisfaction," "A Chemical Imbalance," "Tartuffe (Born Again)," "The Miser," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest," "Move Over Mrs. Markham," "Wonder of the World," "Beyond Therapy," and "A Christmas Epic."

The Gods of Comedy at the Phoenix Theatre, June 2025

Stage Review - The Gods of Comedy
Presented By: Phoenix Theatre - Edmonds, WA
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

Eric Lewis does have a knack for being able to deliver comedies like this one, he’s able to capture the humor that the playwrights (in this case Ken Ludwig) put on the page, and do it with ensemble casts who are well prepared and confident in their acting. Making a play like this one work requires a combination of vocal delivery and physical comedy, a combination that under Eric’s auspices always seems to find a way to work. Each actor in this cast is practically an expert at either the physical aspects of the humor, the delivery of the comedy that’s written in the script, or in some cases both.

Eric Lewis once again provides a blueprint for designing, building, and presenting a show that leans heavily on its ensemble and allows them to explore all of the facets of delivering a farcical comedy.

In the Next Room or The Vibrator Vibrator Play

Written By Greg Heilman

Stage Review - In the Next Room (Or, The Vibrator Play)
Presented By: Valley Center Stage - North Bend, WA
Show Run: April 04 - April 20, 2025

Reviewed By: Anna Tatelman

Under the direction of Eric Lewis, Valley Center Stage brings In the Next Room to life with great energy and understanding.....

I was amazed at both the intricacy and grandiosity of the set design (created by Eric Lewis and constructed by Mark Bryant)....

Valley Center Stage highlights the personal journeys each of its seven characters go on, whether those journeys end in tragedy, uncertainty, or the joy of finally connecting with yourself and others. With storytelling that’sboth touching and entertaining, strong performers, and a set that’s a show unto itself, this is a production worth seeing.

Tartuffe, Born Again. The Phoenix Theatre Edmonds, 2024

Stage Review - Tartuffe, Born Again (Phoenix Theatre)
Oct 21
Written By Greg Heilman

Directed by Eric Lewis, the Phoenix Theatre production runs on stage in Edmonds through October 27, and features BJ Smyth as Louisiana vagrant turned evangelist Tartuffe and an ensemble that presents this comedy in a most hilarious way.

I can’t say enough about the individual performances here, but beyond how very good BJ is in this lead role, it’s the quality of the group as an ensemble that makes Tartuffe, Born Again exceedingly good.

Move Over Mrs. Markham at the Phoenix Theatre, 2024

Stage Review, Move Over Mrs. Markham. Sound on Stage. Written by Greg Heilman

Exaggerate that situation, add a healthy dose of good comic timing, physical comedy, dialogue delivered quickly and confidently, but straight, and some satire, parody, and absurd or, better yet, racy behavior, and the result is usually a hilarious romp that will leave an audience in stitches. The more of these components that are delivered well in a play, the funnier it is, and in the case of Move Over Mrs. Markham, the farcical comedy that is currently running on stage at The Phoenix Theatre in Edmonds, the result is something that is laugh out loud funny from start to finish. The play, written by Ray Cooney and John Chapman, and directed here by Eric Lewis.

Director Eric Lewis has assembled a cast that understands how good comedy works, whether it’s of the physical variety, or by delivering situationally funny dialogue in the most straight and serious way. Move Over Mrs. Markham is a wholly entertaining comedy, and the fact that the show has been extended for an additional week can only mean that more people will get to see it, and that’s a good thing.