Macon Magazine

don't require anybody to be good at singing, good at acting. The biggest thing is that you just love kids and you love bringing the characters to life." Many of the performers tend to either be teachers or theatre actors, though, and they take the job seriously. "I've been involved with the theatre for a long time, so there's a lot of similarities," noted performer Tim Hinojosa, whose character of The Grinch was a fan favorite at the MM photo shoot. "But you get to interact with some people a lot more in this capacity, which can be a lot of fun. It can also be very challenging. You never know how they're going to react to you." The power of play, the kind of imaginative and in- person experience that Fairytales and Friends brings to a First Friday stroll or to a birthday party, can't be overstated. The Hechinger Report argues that imaginative play creates social bonding and empathy that is essential to brain development, and cites dozens of studies that show play's ability to reduce inequality and improve mental health. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that child-driven play is at risk in the modern world, and that more resources need to "call for an inclusion of play as we seek the Characters are chosen based on demand and keeping up with pop culture. Some are based on the latest trends in movies and books – but others are simple and seasonal like the Easter Bunny, or broadly popular like a generic mermaid or fairy. Coy explained, "We have diff erent performers of diff erent ages who might have children themselves, and we say, well, who do you think your kids would most recognize? Who would they most like to see?" Clients and audience members can request characters, but an errant request may be too expensive to build a costume for with no demand. One thing a potential customer might notice perusing the Fairytales and Friends website is that a face might seem familiar to them from a book or a blockbuster movie, but the name attached to the character is unusual – the Glass Slipper Princess, or the Dark Side Villain. This is to be clear that the costume is a unique interpretation on a given character, and not infringing on the copyright of big companies that own brand names. Once a choice is made, that's where Knight comes in. Coy says she's a whiz with costuming and wigs. One thing that the team thinks about is how a human would embody anthropomorphic or fantastical characters, and what wardrobe adjustments can help accentuate this transition. Another question is how a look will fi t diff erent actors. Fairytales and Friends needs to be sure a costume can fi t wide size ranges to be sure that they have an actor on hand who can take the gig. So many outfi ts have elements like lace up ribbons in the back, to be able to adjust the sizing easily. "I feel like I've gained a lot of skills that I never thought I would have – not just in performing and improv, but also things like styling wigs and mending quick fi xes in a costume, and all kinds of diff erent makeup and hair," said Knight. "I love prepping people for the job, training people for the job, teaching people how to perform and embody characters." Their biggest challenge is emergencies coming up like a fl at tire or a performer calling in sick, so Fairytales and Friends always has a party host come to an event with the characters. The host can help with wardrobe malfunctions and set up activities or take pictures – but they also act as a backup in case of emergency, so a party won't fall through. After a look has been perfected, the Fairytales and Friends team creates a guidebook of lore that spells out everything an actor could need to know about a character. From the character's favorite foods to a silly dance move that they tend to do to the members of their family, this helps the actors stay in character throughout an event. Creating community-focused jobs "I myself do community theater, and that's kind of where I started asking people was just from people I knew," explained Coy. "There's no training required. We BELOW Suzanne Knight makes a quick costume adjustment for Emily Nick, playing the Snow Queen. "It's being able to give back to the community and work with charity organizations – but also at the root of it, I get to play dress up with all of my good friends." October/November 2024 | maconmagazine.com 49

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