For senior Andrew Johnson theatre is more about connecting with others and expression of technique rather than just being in the spotlight.

Johnson transferred from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville during the second semester of his freshman year and will graduate from Lipscomb this December with a BFA in Theatre Acting.

Entering the Lipscomb Department of Theatre presented opportunities for him to cultivate his acting skills as well as make many connections.

“Considering I brought nothing to the table to start, being surrounded by a lot of really, really good contacts has been good for me,” Johnson said. “Just getting to do shows has been huge, including the push to go do stuff outside of the department.”

One of those contacts is Steve Feldman, who worked on Sesame Street for several years. Several other contacts are fellow students, whom Johnson has spent countless afternoons with, hanging out in the University Theatre on campus, working on shows or performing with the group “Self-IMPROVment.”

Johnson became president of the improv troupe in May 2015 after the former president, Austin Hunt, graduated. Johnson has been a part of the group for about a year and believes it to be a “stress reliever.”

Junior Nelson Tilley, a member of Self-IMPROVment, said he believes Johnson to be a good leader.

“Andrew is a wonderful person to work with,” Tilley said. “He really emphasizes ‘Hey we’re a group; we’re a team.’”

Johnson has also performed in several plays, both in the department and with Nashville theaters. Most recently, he portrayed a “tragedian” for the Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

The show proved to be difficult with his schedule and it was the longest running show he has done to date.

“It was a really good learning experience for me because the process was so fast,” Johnson said. “We put that play up in three weeks. It was great to see how professionals handle a rehearsal process of a really hard-to-memorize show.”

Johnson performed his dream role as Javert in Les Miserables in the fall of 2013 with Lipscomb’s theatre department. Another one of his favorite roles was Charles the Wrestler in the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s As You Like It.

Working with the Nashville Shakespeare Festival led Johnson to his love for classical theatre. Johnson will be playing a soldier in their upcoming production of King Leer in January.

After Johnson graduates this December, he said he wishes to continue studying the classics along with stage combat.

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