Ryk Lewis
Writer, Musician, Composer, Theater Professional
Ryk Lewis is a theater professional with a career that incorporates music, theater and dance.
He began formal piano instruction at age 5. He began his professional singing career at age 12 becoming a touring member of the Philadelphia Boys’ Choir. His tours include China, Egypt, Hong Kong, and Canada.
Shortly after leaving the Boys’ Choir, Ryk furthered his instrumental instruction studying flute, cello and percussion.
Ryk was a Music education major at Nyack College in Rockland County New York.
In the late 80’s Ryk became an electronic music specialist and recording engineer. In the early 90’s he was encouraged by friends to become involved in theater. Combining his technical and performance knowledge he quickly became involved in the Philadelphia theater scene first as an audio tech, then as a designer and technical director.
In 1999 Ryk became a full time theatrical professional taking a staff audio position at the Prince Music Theater in Philly. During his three seasons at the Prince, Ryk worked with such notables as James Naughton, Lou Rawls, Darlene Love, Mandy Patinkin, Harold Prince, Andrea Marcovicci, Johnnie Hobbs and many, many others. He has also worked with Philadanco, Jeanne Ruddy Dance, the Garden State Dance Festival, and has produced and developed his own multi-discipline show, PlasmaDanceTheater.
Ryk spent three seasons as sound designer for the Walnut Street Theater’s main stage in Philadelphia designing sound for the Walnut’s productions of Les Miserables, Hairspray, Of Mice and Men, 42ND Street and other shows. He is a former faculty member at the University of the Arts in its School of Theater Arts.
His directing credits include Little Shop of Horrors, The Breakfast Club, David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, Man of La Mancha and others.
Ryk was the Director of the Fusion Performing Arts Center in New Jersey and dedicated much of his time and talent to making the arts accessible to all. He had drafted programs that use the performing arts to teach social and cognitive skills to those in the autism spectrum and another to provide underprivileged youth hands-on training in technical theater.
Ryk has most recently produced his own original musical “The Ongoing Plight of the Ferryman” and divides his time between his Family and work as an artist/activist.