Macon Magazine

9 6 | 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 In it all, Frazier acknowledged that sweeping change – even when for the best – isn't easy. "No, I won't say it's easy," he said. "Change can be very difficult for any of us – whether in our personal lives or out in the things we do. I know that not everyone is happy with every point of what we're doing, but I'd say many more are. It takes time." Frazier said he knows some may roll their eyes when he walks in with new ideas, but is the theater's founder Crisp having sleepless nights about eatre Macon's new direction? "No!" Crisp answered emphatically. "is is exactly why I hand- picked Richard to replace me. I haven't told people this, but I retired a couple of years earlier than I planned because I was afraid we might lose him. I was afraid he would go elsewhere and we'd lose his leadership into the future. Am I bothered by the changes and directions? I'd be bothered if I wasn't seeing them. What he's doing now reflects exactly what we set out to do in the '80s. I'm proud of what I've done as artistic director, but we hired him to do what needs doing in 2019 and beyond." EDUCATION ON AND OFF STAGE Frazier said he never wanted to be a star on stage. In fact, from age 5, he wanted to be a teacher. "I was the kid staying after school to help the teacher," he said. "At home, we played classroom; that's what I wanted." Frazier said as a youngster the possibility of school trips got him into chorus, which led to doing plays. at led to his deciding to teach theater. Graduating from Columbus State University, Frazier was hired as part of the award-winning drama program at Northside High School in Warner Robins. He taught for seven years and became a board member for state and national youth drama associations. Brian Barnett leads the Northside program and it was Barnett who suggested Frazier get involved with eatre Macon. His first involvement was as choreographer for 2011's "Rocky Horror Show," and roles on and off their stage followed. As artistic director, Frazier still sees himself as an educator. "To me, eatre Macon is where people of diverse backgrounds can come together and see and tell their story onstage," he said. "at's what happens. People see, in the lives and stories of others, things they relate to and learn from. ... It's mainly about people in our community who want to be entertained, maybe want to have a date night and who don't mind gaining a greater understanding about themselves and others through it. As much as anything, we want to be teaching empathy and compassion – whether it's through involvement in plays or as a patron or an audience member." In this light, Frazier said his changes are simply to secure the theater's future and fulfill its mission, just as Crisp did effectively "It's mainly about people in our community who want to be entertained, maybe want to have a date night and who don't mind gaining a greater understanding about themselves and others through it." – Richard Frazier Richard Frazier (left) and Jim Crisp

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