Macon Magazine

H o l l y R o b e r t s H E R O E S A M O N G U S S o m e s t a r s o f t h e s t a g e d o n' t j u s t s i n g a n d d a n c e , t h ey b u i l d t h e w o r l d t h e c h a ra c te r s i n h a b i t . T h a t d e s c r i b e s H o l l y R o b e r t s f r o m T h e a t r e M a c o n STORY BY MM STAFF | PHOTO BY MATT ODOM smoothly. Sometimes my job is to sweep and vacuum so the theatre looks presentable for showtime. There isn't much I haven't done at the theatre to keep it running. TM is celebrating 40 years this year. What makes it a special place? Theatre Macon is one of my favorite places to be. But the people at Theatre Macon are what makes it special. It brings such a diverse group of people together to tell a story. People from all walks of life coming into one space and pouring a piece of themselves into a collective fleeting moment is magic. It's a place where you find your people. I definitely found my people at Theatre Macon. What's one moment from a production that challenged you past your limits? Without a doubt, "The Play That Goes Wrong" was the most challenging show I have worked on. directing "Beauty and the Beast" that December at TM and I thought, I like Disney and Richard are both super fun, so why not? I was lucky enough to be cast and had the time of my life. Theatre Macon has been my home away from home ever since. How would you describe your duties at TM to someone who's not familiar at all with theatre? I help design, build, and organize shows from the ground up. It starts with a blank stage and an idea. If we need a kitchen, we assemble walls, pick paint colors, make props, such as fake food, and even build a fridge. We build the world the actors live in from scratch. If I am stage managing on top of that, I serve as the director's second set of eyes. I note if an actor needs a flowy cape to emphasize a dramatic exit or a ringing telephone sound cue and send it off to the respective department. I'm usually the first one in and one of — if not the last — one out every night. I walk all the tech volunteers through their job and make sure the show runs heatre Macon is, alongside Macon Magazine, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. But how did the community theatre that was once a scrappy downtown upstart make it solidly to middle age? Well, it takes many hands, and one who has put in a deep amount of care is Holly Roberts. Holly is the associate scenic designer (and frequent stage manager), and her days involve everything from sourcing the perfect replica sword to building platforms that can withstand the weight of six people on them. MM asked Holly about how the backstage halls on Cherry Street became her second home. What first brought you to Theatre Macon? Could you tell me about your first production experience there? Richard Frazier brought me to Theatre Macon in 2017. I had met him earlier that year helping with a production of "Annie" at Warner Robins High School. We painted comic strips and talked like we had always been friends. Richard was T 40 maconmagazine.com | October/November 2026

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