Meet the Spellers: Andrew Wilson Jr.

Introduce yourself! Where have audiences seen your work before and what's coming up next for you?

I moved to Colorado about a year ago! I've lived in Texas, California, Virginia, and was born and raised in South Carolina! I've loved getting to know the theatre community here in my short time! I was in All Shook Up at Town Hall Arts Center, and Spelling Bee is my second show in Colorado. As far as what is next, my wife and I have recently accepted jobs teaching in the Theatre Department at my undergrad in South Carolina! We move right after the show closes! We are very excited for the opportunity to work together in the same department teaching acting and directing.

What is your favorite aspect of your role within the Spelling Bee team? What makes it unique?

My favorite aspect of working with this team has been the collaboration with everyone involved. The actors, creative, and production teams have all worked together to make sure we are all on the same page! I love the fact that we all want to tell a great story together, and we also want to respect one another while doing it. I look forward to going to rehearsal every night knowing I get to be a part of this team. We just have such a great time as a team putting this story together! The unique part is being in a show where the audience will be directly involved in what we are doing on stage. I'm excited to have that uniqueness every time we perform the show. Can't wait!

What would you say to an audience member who's never seen this show before? Why should they join the pandemonium?

I would say be prepared to just have a great time at the theatre! While there is some depth and challenging material within this show, a lot of it is also silly and fun. You remember what it was like to be an awkward 11-12 year-old? You'll get to see that up-close with this show. Also, the talent in this production is top-notch! Plus, you get a chance to literally be a part of the show, why not come out and see it for yourself?! I promise you will leave the show with the biggest smile on your face.

Do you have a favorite line or song from the show? If so, what is it and why?

There are so many options! My favorite is probably The I Love You Song in Act 2. I don't want to give too much away, but get your kleenex ready. You'll get to know these characters in the show through all of the songs, and this one you really get to see what this character's home life is like. It's also one of the more serious moments in the show that will make you feel all the feels. I also just love all of the songs because our Director and Choreographer have staged them beautifully.

Any spelling bee-related memories from your past you care to share?

I literally lost every spelling bee that I've entered. I'd be so confident and then I would mispell “librarian” (hopefully I spelled it right this time). I do remember being jealous of the kids that would make it to the finals in the school spelling bee because they got to be on stage in front of the entire school, and I thought that was the coolest.

If you were to assign a word to another member of the team to spell in front of the group, which word would you choose and why?

I would want everyone in the group to spell the word cattywampus. Having grown up in South Carolina, that word got used quite a lot in my house. It means something just looks out of place or not right. Sample sentence: "Wow, your hair is all cattywampus. Fix it." I also just love saying that word and would find a lot of joy in people trying to spell it!