Welcome, PRTC Apprentice Class of 2017-2018!
Andrew Lupkes
Assistant Manager, Pezzettino Italian Deli & Market
Box Office Associate, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Cook, Devon Barnes Catering
Kansas City, Missouri
PRTC Apprenticeship Credits:
- “Superior Donuts” by Tracy Letts
- “The Meaning of Almost Everything” by Jeff Daniels
- “33 Variations” by Moisés Kaufman
- “Miles & Ellie” by Don Zolidis
- “The Vast Difference” by Jeff Daniels
- “Redwood Curtain” by Lanford Wilson
What or who inspired you to become an apprentice at the Purple Rose?
I was inspired to become an apprentice at the Purple Rose because I was getting burnt out at the US Postal Service, and really desired to get back into the theatre after two years of ‘making money.’
What is the most useful skill or piece of knowledge you gained from your apprenticeship?
The most useful piece(s) of knowledge I gained from my apprenticeship were: ‘show up, do the work, be kind.’
What job opportunities (theatre-related or otherwise) have you had following your apprenticeship?
Thus far, I have been involved with staged readings of a local company Potluck Productions. I also helped with the Kansas City Fringe Festival this past summer.
How has your apprenticeship prepared you for/contributed to your current job?
My apprenticeship has prepared me for my current jobs by showing up, doing my work, and being kind to those around me.
Do you have a funny or embarrassing story from your time as an apprentice?
My story comes from the time during Miles & Ellie build. Gary, Greg Butka, Bertie, Jerry and I had to perform overnight construction during the final days of rehearsal. Bertie was putting bonding putty in the stage floor seams and was giggling from the fumes. Gary was mudding the sheet rock. Jerry and Greg were sanding the dried mud. It was dusty, dirty, late and we were tired. I remember standing next to the upstairs barn doors (we had opened them due to the fumes) taking a five and noticing how absolutely quiet it was outside behind the theater at 3 in the morning. (And taking great care not to fall from my exhaustion and fume-addled brain) One of the most stressful 48 hours of my life. We were tired, high from chemical fumes, dirty, but we were doing the art we loved.
Of the shows on which you worked, which one was your favorite? Why?
Probably The Vast Difference. It was the culmination of my time as an apprentice. I knew everybody in the building pretty well. I learned the most from the actors involved in that show. I had new apprentice friends to show the way. For all the stress that the end of my apprentice time brought I was still happy.
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