For the past two months, members of the senior class have been casting their votes for their favorite UW professor.

Now, after weeks of planning by the Alumni Association, the table is set for tonight’s “Who Gets the Last Word?” lecture in Kane 210, where the winner, Andrew Tsao — an associate professor of acting and directing in the UW drama department — will give an open lecture geared toward outgoing students.

Tsao was named the senior class’s favorite professor with more than 600 votes.

In a YouTube video on the Alumni Association’s Web site addressed to the class of 2009, Tsao states: “To have the chance to talk to you guys in an informal setting before you head out into the world is both a huge responsibility and an honor.”

Tsao teaches undergraduate courses about auditioning and creating drama and also gives guest lectures to introductory drama courses. In the graduate field, Tsao teaches courses on screen-acting technique and acting seminars.

Before arriving at the UW, Tsao contributed to a variety of television shows as a director, including episodes of Friends, Home Improvement and the short-lived cult phenomenon The Tick.

When asked the difference between working with Hollywood comedy icons versus a class of UW drama students, Tsao only saw similarities.

“The truth is there is no difference,” Tsao said. “Whether working on a multi-million dollar television series or a low-budget student production, drama is drama.”

Tsao’s students feel he is revered because of the respect he has for those with whom he works. Several of his students expressed admiration for his open-minded spirit and labor of love.

“Honestly, he is the only professor who has made me feel like a truly creative person,” said senior Markie Miller, a drama major. “He taught us how to make art.”

Tsao said that if there was one aspect of his teaching that was unique, it was his eagerness to seize innovation. He regularly incorporates YouTube and Twitter into his classes and is not hesitant to reference modern pop culture when teaching drama.

“While at my core, I am a classicist, I am as interested in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as I am in Aristotle,” Tsao said. “That might open doors because I like to see how those things relate across time.”

Miller could not agree more with Tsao’s self-assessment.

“He understands us as a generation, and he wants to let us have our own voice,” Miller said. “He’s more excited about what we as a generation can do than what his generation has already done.”

Tsao sees this newly bestowed honor as his greatest achievement in teaching, and in typical director fashion, refers to his most recent work — a student-produced play Our Town — as his proudest accomplishment. Tsao’s effect on students at the UW has been undeniable; many of his upcoming graduates are already pursuing careers in dramatic arts.

Growing up fascinated by Woody Allen’s witty humor and benefiting from great drama instructors, Tsao said he is simply returning the favor.

Last year, David Domke, a communication professor, was named “favorite professor” and gave a more serious talk about the uncertainty students might face in life after college.

As far as tonight’s “Last Word?” in Kane Hall, Tsao wouldn’t give any hints except that it would be “dramatic.”

Reach contributing writer Will Stevens at news@dailyuw.com.