Richard Frazier, artistic director at Theatre Macon

Theatre People (#8) - Richard Frazier | Theatre Avenue

This week meet Richard Frazier!

Richard is from Georgia and taught theatre and dance for 7 years. Now, he is the artistic director at Theatre Macon.

Richard Frazier, theatre and dance educator and artistic director of Theatre Macon.

What’s a show that inspires you? (explain away!)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and Angels in America. These are two shows that to me embody what theatre is all about; empathy. Both of these shows are about real people with very real obstacles and how the people in their lives are affected by them (both positively and negatively. They both allow us a journey through their eyes. They remind us that you never know what people may be going through and that the two most important things in this world are kindness and empathy.

What’s one of your happiest moments in theatre?

My favorite moment in theatre is when “something goes wrong”. I love watching how the cast and production team bond together to make sure that a show goes on. This past Spring, I had to step onstage for two different performances and in two different roles in a production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee that I directed. I had not understudied the roles, nor did I have the opportunity to rehearse them. One of the performances I had 30 minutes to prepare for. The way the cast and the production crew worked together and supported me and encouraged me showed how true the statement “the show must go on” actually is.

What’s the biggest ‘fail’ or goof you’ve seen on stage?

In a production of Hello Dolly the performer playing Dolly was in the middle of the song “Dancing”. About half way through, her skirt completely fell off onstage and she ran off. Two of the cast members simply improvised the choreography (because she was supposed to be dancing with them) and the other two cast members figured out how to get her skirt to her. This was one of those moments that signifies what theatre is all about.

Why do you love theatre?

I love the way theatre empowers change in people and our world. It encourages people to grow, try new things, and to lead.

Theatre is for...

STORYTELLING

and telling the stories of ALL people. Representation matters and theatre is the place to make it happen.

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More about Richard...

Richard is thrilled and humbled to be the Artistic Director of Theatre Macon. He has choreographed, directed, and performed in several productions at Theatre Macon since 2011, including 42nd Street, Les Miserables, Avenue Q, Monty Python’s Spamalot, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Richard is a graduate of Columbus State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Education. Upon graduation, he was hired at Northside High School in Warner Robins, Georgia, where he served as the Theatre and Dance teacher for 7 years. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Educational Theatre Association; a non-profit organization which celebrates, advocates, and promotes middle and high school theatre education nationwide. As a part of this organization, Richard also serves on the Georgia Thespians State Board which encourages and supports the manifestation of theatre education in Georgia. In his career, Richard has worked on more than 100 productions and is looking forward to working on the next 100 with Theatre Macon.