In the Spotlight: Sebastian Orillac

A self-described awkward, tired and frustrated engineering geek, senior Sebastian Orillac has found a unique escape from his daily academic rigors: acting.

Orillac provides a counterexample to the common stereotypes separating engineering and other science-heavy fields from the arts. You may have already seen him onstage as Eilif in Enemy of the people, Tim in Noises Off or in R.U.R. as Dr. Gall, whose French accent, distinguished occupation and flirtatious tendencies made him Orillac’s favorite character to play.

Undaunted by challenging roles or the huge commitment demanded by Lafayette theater productions, Orillac sees his work as a simple matter of time management. Considering the workload that is required by his major in chemical engineering, Sebastian’s involvement in theater is especially impressive. According to him, the typical play at Lafayette usually takes about 4-5 hours out of the day. A large commitment, but he insists his participation allows him an escape from his daily academic rigors. “[Acting] provided a relief from my hectic study schedule,” Orillac said. “The fact that the play created a more hectic study schedule is inconsequential.”

Orillac maintains his performance schedule is “a fun addition” that has never interfered with his engineering assignments. “Anyone who says different is not spending their time efficiently,” he said. After graduation, Orillac plans to pursue chemical engineering, but hopes to continue acting as well. A job in the city may help him find such a balance.

“I hope that I can,” said Orillac. “It’s a great place to be—on the stage.”