Macon Magazine

9 4 | M A C O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 9 T heatre Macon's new artistic director Richard Frazier might have been nervous about changes he wanted to bring to the theatrical company started by Jim Crisp and a handful of others 33 years ago— but he hasn't let that stop him. Frazier made it clear by the plays he selected for his first season following Crisp's 2018 retirement that eatre Macon was moving forward. But his second season makes it even more clear. "Choosing my first-season plays, I considered what people would want to see but also wanted to put my stamp on eater Macon," he said. "I knew there would be comparisons between Jim and I, but I didn't want them to be easy ones, like apples to apples. I wanted to show a difference, like between apples and oranges." Among the plays, Frazier chose a contemporary adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility," which used traditional costuming and language but a modern sense of story and humor closer to current issues. ere was also "e Legend of Sleepy Hollow," which incorporated new theatrical elements in the familiar tale, like large- sized puppetry never previously employed on eatre Macon's stage. "e Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" took things further with a stark stage setting and mammoth video screen to reveal the mind of a young man with autism. Frazier said bits of the story and language were "disturbing" but provided audiences insight into life with autism. Such material, Frazier said, challenges audiences and communities, which he said is an aspect of what theater and art is responsible to do. "'Curious Incident' is a prime example of something not having a huge name but having a big impact in challenging how we view Act Two, Scene Two Beginning his second season at eatre Macon, Artistic Director Richard Frazier brings exciting changes to the company BY MICHAEL W. PANNELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA WHITLEY something – in this case autism – and considering how we think, how others think and why," he said. "is kind of challenge isn't a negative, but a positive in making us think things through and understand things and others better." STAGE 2 SETS A NEW SCENE His second season changes are reflected more in how eatre Macon operates. "We've changed the number of plays in our season and done away with the name Mainstage productions," Frazier said. "Our Youth Actors' Company has become the Youth Artists' Company, which better shows that young people aren't just invited to act, but to learn all aspects of a production. And, of course, we've added the Stage 2 Series." Practically speaking, where seasons previously were from September to May with six plays and a summer musical, the new subscription season — the company's 34th — runs August to May and includes two plays, two musicals and two Youth Artists' Company plays.

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