Rebecca Bandy
Stefanie Bodkin
Natalie Brouwer
Levi Cox
Life after Lee University may take alumni in unexpected directions, but the skills and tools gained can be seen regardless of the chosen field. Rebecca Bandy, Stefanie Bodkin, Natalie Brouwer and Levi Cox, alumni from Lee University’s theatre program, have been putting their education to use both on and off the stage.
“It is one of our greatest pleasures to see how our graduates use the tools and gifts they have as they move out into the world beyond Lee University,” said Dr. Christine Williams, associate professor of theatre at Lee. “These are just a few examples of the great work our students are doing and we are so proud of our alums as they use their gifts in unique ways, not just on the stage, but also as worship leaders and medical professionals.”
Ms. Bandy, a 2011 Lee theatre graduate, has participated in scene shop internships at The Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, New York and Lexington Children’s Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky. She served as the technical director for Lee last fall and the technical director for Georgia State University this past spring. During the summer, she worked as a carpenter at Trollwood Performing Arts Center in Moorhead, Minnesota. She is currently working as properties carpenter at Cleveland Playhouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
While at Lee, Ms. Bandy was a leader in Alpha Psi Omega, the theatre honor society, and Phi Eta Sigma, the freshman honor society. She was also a member of the social service club Omega Alpha Phi and served as a teaching assistant in the theatre program’s scene shop.
“While at Lee, I fully learned the power of respecting and loving the people I work with because theatre is a collaborative art,” said Ms. Bandy. “I have also greatly appreciated the structure of the liberal arts theatre education that Lee offers. Because we had to delve into several different areas of theatre production, I understand and appreciate the art of my fellow workers much more.”
Ms. Bandy hopes to continue her work in theatre and attend graduate school so that she can eventually make the move to teaching in higher education.
Since graduating from Lee and moving to Los Angeles, Ms. Bodkin has been active in the theatre and film industry. She performed in the Long Beach Shakespeare Company production of “Two Gentlemen of Verona” and with Ophelia’s Jump Production in “Eurydice” by Sarah Ruhl.
Ms. Bodkin graduated from Lee in 2011 with a bachelor’s in theatre and telecommunications with an emphasis in producing, and she received her Master’s of Fine Arts in acting for film from New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. During her time at Lee, Bodkin was active in the theatre program and participated in a variety of shows at Lee as an actress, light designer, and crew member.
Ms. Bodkin recently founded the production company “Bodkin Pictures,” which is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. She hopes to produce the types of movies in which she would like to act. She has already produced a short film called “Level Up,” which she hopes will hit film festivals early next year, and a lifestyle series for commercial actress Simon Alex.
Currently, Ms. Bodkin is partnering with Derek Ziarkowski, a writer she met while attending Lee. Together they are working on several projects with the hope of producing a film for Sundance Festival next year. In addition, they are in the process of writing a pilot.
"Lee University equipped me for a career and not just a job,” said Ms. Bodkin. “My experience at Lee was my stepping stone to the career of my dreams, and I owe that to my Lee professors.”
During the summer, Ms. Brouwer was a member of the Barter Players at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. There were 14 actors in the internship program, and the group performed three shows geared toward younger audiences: “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Winnie the Pooh,” and “Sleeping Beauty.” The Players also participated in a few main stage shows, including “The Wizard of Oz,” alongside the resident theatre company.
Ms. Brouwer is currently in the process of obtaining her Master’s of Fine Arts in acting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and was recently cast as the lead, Viola, in “Twelfth Night” by Shakespeare at her university. After completing her master’s, Brouwer hopes to continue to work professionally in the theatre world.
Ms. Brouwer was raised in Black Mountain, N.C. and graduated from Lee with honors in May 2014 with a bachelor’s in theatre. While at Lee, Ms. Brouwer was involved in Kairos Scholars, an academic honors program at Lee. Within the theatre program, Ms. Brouwer performed in many roles on the stage, including Vivian Bearing in “Wit” and Sabrina Fairchild in “Sabrina Fair.” She was also a member of the National Theatre Honor Society and served as the chaplain during her junior year and vice president during her senior year.
"At Lee I learned what it means to be a theatre artist who loves Jesus,” said Ms. Brouwer, “someone who can live out my faith and my art.”
Mr. Cox graduated from Lee with a bachelor’s in theatre in 2011 and is currently living in Louisville, Kentucky. While at Lee, he participated in a variety of plays, both on the stage and behind the scenes, and worked as a teaching assistant to Williams.
Mr. Cox currently participates in local community theaters and with the University of Louisville theatre department, and he and his brother Jonathan have recently founded a film company called Cox Brothers Films. Their latest project was a romantic comedy short film entitled “A Girl Like You.” Mr. Cox wrote the script and played the male lead while his brother directed. The film was one of 61 selected from 5,000, and it is currently in the running for awards at the Louisville Film Festival this month. The film is also up for the Nashville Film Festival.
Mr. Cox says he started the film company for two reasons: to provide a means for film-lovers like himself to get film work and experience on the eastern side of the United States and to provide another option for young talent to fulfill their dreams outside of larger film centers such as Los Angeles and New York.
"I can definitely say I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the Lee University theatre program," said Mr. Cox. "It taught me to never give up, and most importantly, it taught me to use my imagination and to be creative—to imagine the possibilities and be creative enough to fulfill them.”
For more information about Lee University’s theatre program, email theatre@leeuniversity.edu. For more information on the New York Film Academy go to https://www.nyfa.edu/mfa/acting.php.