Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Frazier-Maskiell.
Hi Scott, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and grew up in NY. I was a lost kid who found theatre. I had a gift for character and could dance, as well as sing. I made my way through regional theatre there up to performing on national tours and a little Broadway. While between shows I was offered a chance to teach, and fell right in love with it. I ended up with 89 students a week while working for Plaza Playhouse, a busy regional theatre company.. Life came up with a fork in the road and I pursued music as a singer songwriter. I met my wife during this time and we grew our family, and theatre called again. This time I was a composer, so along with performing, teaching and directing, now I was writing musicals. My family, Erin my wife and our three magical kids, Story, Max and Lucy, moved to Eugene over ten years ago. I entered the local theatre scene right away, but didn’t find the level of empathy and craft that I grew up with. So, I began Pegasus Playhouse, focusing on young actors wanting to pursue excellence in all aspects of theatre arts. We keep to smaller casts and along with famous classics like Frozen, we premiere shows that I’ve written, inclusive musicals that I hope are fun and fresh. We had a venue for a few years in Springfield, where we created theatre for and with all ages including adults. Since having to close our venue due to funding cuts, I continue to produce shows with and teach young actors. This past year we’ve done TO OZ (An original show) with middle school students and GODSPELL with our high school crew. Since our business beginnings in 2019, we’ve had a great summer theatre program, which will continue this year through a partnership with Oregon Contemporary Theatre. I’ve written 8 new musicals that have premiered with Pegasus and have more coming soon. The future depends on finding stages for our young actors to perform on, and grow our program in the community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My family of origin came with challenges that I’ve overcome. There were some abusive situations. When I was young, I auditioned for commercials and shows based in NYC, and nothing panned out. It was an early time to learn to deal with losing opportunities. I am on the autistic spectrum, which in the seventies wasn’t something that was addressed often if at all. So, I was simply “a bit much”. It took years to find that I had things to offer as an artist. But more as a teacher. I had, because of my own past “failures” grown an understanding of artists and how to work with them in a group. I do not have a degree and that gets in the way of being considered for positions in my area of expertise in the world, but I have created things of lasting worth in spite of that. In our local scene, finding space and collaboration have been hard. The answer to that seems to be create. So I do. That and connecting to young artists is key.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Working with actors and finding strengths and places of needed growth is something that interests me and that I thrive in. But what I’ve grown into more and more is creating new works. I am a playwright and a composer of musicals that offer roles that even out a young cast, and address ideas and issues that they care about and understand. Having been a singer songwriter I’m practiced at quickly sketching out and filling through on an idea. My past NY theatre experience involved building sets, finding costumes, learnings makeup techniques and I even have a certificate in sound design. What this means is that from idea to performance, I’m capable of making it all happen. Perhaps not perfectly, but better each time, and I’m teaching a younger generation that things are possible. They are able to make something new and see if it sticks. If it doesn’t, try again. I see them, the Peggles (what someone is called who’s worked with Pegasus Playhouse) do it. That’s what I’m most proud of.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Bad luck pervaded my early acting career, but if that had panned out, I wouldn’t have been able to teach or create what I have. I wouldn’t have my family. I could never see my life now as anything but a success because of that. In the short term? It would be nice to have a new theatre home. Losing our space in Springfield was definitely bad luck.
Pricing:
- Summer Camp Teen $450
- Summer Camp Elementary $400
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pegasusplayhouse.com
- Instagram: Pegaplay
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pegasusplayhouse
