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. 25-year tenure as a mail carrier in North Everett, (one has to pay the bills) 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."

Murder on West Moon Street by Rob Urbinati

Stage Review - Murder on West Moon Street
Presented By: Phoenix Theatre - Edmonds, WA
Show Run: May 29 - June 21, 2026
Date Reviewed: Saturday, June 13, 2026
Run Time: 1 Hour, 45 Minutes (including a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed by: Greg Heilman

Director Eric Lewis is responsible for many of the most entertaining productions Phoenix has mounted in recent years, and with Rob Urbaniti’s Murder on West Moon Street, he has once again demonstrated his knack for finding comedy in all the right places.

Murder on West Moon Street, at its core, works because it isn’t afraid to embrace the ridiculous. Wilde's story asks audiences to accept the notion that a young aristocrat would respond to a murder prophecy not by questioning the prediction, but by attempting to fulfill it. Under Eric's direction, the cast fully commits to that premise, allowing the comedy to emerge naturally from characters who take their circumstances completely seriously.

Murder on West Moon Street is exactly the sort of production that has become synonymous with Phoenix Theatre at its best: smart, energetic, ensemble-driven comedy performed by artists who understand precisely how to deliver a laugh without sacrificing character. For audiences looking for an evening of clever farce, sharp performances, and plenty of Victorian absurdity, this production is easy to recommend. More importantly, it serves as another reminder of why Phoenix's personality has become so endearing. When the company leans into this style of comedy, it consistently produces some of the most entertaining theatre in the region, and Murder on West Moon Street stands comfortably among its best efforts.

Theater Review: A Delightfully Wilde Adventure: Murder on West Moon Street Charms with Wit and Whimsy

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Theater review by Kindle Carpp

What makes Murder on West Moon Street especially enjoyable is the company's wholehearted embrace of theatrical storytelling. The play revels in mistaken assumptions, larger-than-life personalities, and delightfully improbable twists without ever becoming cynical.

Instead, the production invites audiences to simply enjoy the ride and rewards them with clever dialogue, engaging performances, and constant laughter.

Beneath the comedy lies a playful satire of superstition, social expectations, and the extraordinary lengths people will go to in pursuit of happiness. Yet the production never loses sight of its primary goal: entertaining its audience. By the final curtain, viewers are left with memorable characters, plenty of laughs, and the satisfaction of having spent an evening in a wonderfully eccentric world.

Delightfully absurd from start to finish, Murder on West Moon Street is a theatrical misadventure well worth taking.

The Importance of Being Earnest

at Valley Center Stage, North Bend April 2026

"With eccentric clothes, vibrant colors, mod- themed art and the unchanged dialogue of Mr. Wilde's work, this production, directed by Eric Lewis in the best "Earnest" I have seen to date." Stage Review, Sound On stage, Brianne Jensen.

Mrs. Dilber's Christmas Carol by Arthur M. Jolly.

Stage Review by: Greg Heilman, Sound on Stage

"What unfolds on stage is a wonderfully irreverent, fast-moving comic romp—one that treats Dickens not as a sacred text but as a playground. The result is a holiday comedy that feels delightfully skewed, a little chaotic, and absolutely in keeping with Phoenix’s signature brand of ensemble-centric farce."

"Director Eric Lewis keeps the pace brisk and the tone freewheeling, allowing his cast to lean into the absurdity without tipping into chaos. It’s a careful balance, and one that serves the material well—especially in a story that takes so much pleasure in poking fun at its source."

Stage review by: Nahline Gouin, My Edmonds News

"Under the spirited direction of Eric Lewis, The Phoenix Theatre continues its 18th season with a retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic. Mrs. Dilber’s Christmas Carol is clever, charming and full of surprises. I highly recommend making the trip to The Phoenix Theatre to see it. "

Stage Review by: Kindle Carpp, Shoreline Area news

"If Lucille Ball’s I Love Lucy and Dickens’s A Christmas Carol ever collided, this production is the delightful chaos that would emerge."

"Mrs. Dilber’s Christmas Carol may twist the classic tale in outrageous directions, but it does so with such charm and confidence that it becomes its own kind of holiday tradition—one that reminds us that laughter, too, is a gift meant to be shared."

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.

NOMINATED FOR THREE SOUND ON STAGE AWARDS

Best Production

Best Director- Eric Lewis

Best Featured Actor- BJ Smythe

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.

Sound on Stage Award Winner- Best Ensemble