The name Josh Lewis may seem familiar to many students at South Lakes High School, particularly seniors. After having won the homecoming week spirit competition three years in a row, Josh has fulfilled his goal of “living the high school experience.” On top of being a talented actor for South Lakes Theatre, Josh Lewis is a name that will be remembered. South Lakes has many notable alumni, such as Grant Hill, a former NBA player, and Christy Winters Scott, a talented sports analyst and former SLHS basketball coach. Perhaps one day, Josh Lewis may end up on that list.
His first homecoming week spirit win occurred in 2021, a time when Josh says he didn’t know many people and hadn’t found his place. He wanted to stick out and most definitely did.
Josh stated, “My whole life I have always enjoyed putting on costumes and being different characters. I like to show off my creativity because it is a part of me… Once you show up to school covered in blue facepaint for the first time, there’s no going back after that.” Winning was one of the most euphoric experiences of Josh’s life, one that set his name on the map in a new school.
In his junior year, Josh felt as if he had no other option than to go all out, and wowed his peers with his yellow jumpsuit Breaking Bad costume, one that he described as “like being in a microwave.” He stated that he went into the second win with low expectations, although with a bit of hope. Josh was shocked to win a second time, although by this point he had gathered quite a social following within the school.
Last week, on homecoming week’s orange themed spirit day, Josh stated that he had a plethora of orange characters to dress up as, such as The Lorax or Kenny from South Park, but ended up settling on Puss In Boots. For his third win, he stated that he was secretly hoping to be dethroned by a sophomore.
Not only is Josh known for his spirit wins, he is also a talented and well regarded actor for South Lakes Theatre. Josh has performed in a total of four mainstage productions (soon to be five!). He has played the characters of Oliver Rivers from Puffs, Bela Zangler from Crazy For You, Black Stache from Peter and the Starcatcher, and Mayor Dobbs from Bright Star. He is going to perform in the role of Ichabod Crane, during this fall’s production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, on November 9th, 10th, and 11th.
When reflecting on his impressive acting career, Josh stated, “It has been one of the most influential and major parts of my life in many ways. It’s helped me make very long lasting friendships.” When asked about his favorite character, he said, “I have a very special love for each one of them, especially Black Stache. He has a bombastic personality, and is very funny.” Josh’s performance of the Black Stache tickled audiences pink, especially when he used improv techniques to insert relatable cultural references into the dialogue, such as the sought-after ingredients of the McDonald’s McRib, or the frenzy-like nature to obtain tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
Josh’s recent performance of Mayor Dobbs from Bright Star earlier this year was a challenge for him, as all three of his previous characters were highly comedic. Josh described Mayor Dobbs as a character with no redeeming qualities, that had a highly antagonistic nature. Nonetheless, Josh still wowed audiences with his performance, undoubtedly contributing to the countless accolades South Lakes Theatre received for Bright Star.
For freshmen, or any students looking to stand out in our South Lakes community, Josh gave a piece of advice, stating, “Always be ready to put yourself out there, make yourself known and your abilities known. Make choices, make mistakes, get messy!”
