What's something people get wrong about your profession? I’m not sure it’s something people actively get wrong, but I do think a lot of people underestimate the power and scope of puppetry. People without first-hand experience with puppetry are often under the impression that puppets are only for children, and even then view them as strictly for entertainment, rather than a means of education, a tool to reach and relate to children, and a method of storytelling with endless possibilities. I don’t think enough people realize how freeing puppetry can be.

Pictured here: Evan Phillips, Imani Joseph, Shelby Folks and Niko Carleo

Who/what has influenced you and your work? I live in Atlanta, so the Center for Puppetry Arts has been a huge influence, both in the work they develop and the artists they feature. I’ve been an actor much longer than a puppeteer, so a lot of my influences come from watching my puppeteer friends create work. My friend and writing partner, SB Hester, has been a huge influence, and she continues to be, as we are currently producing a puppet musical together. 

Why is puppetry important in our society? Puppetry is a form of storytelling that does things no other medium can do. There’s something special in the immediate bond an audience forms with a puppet. It frees us from a lot of the skepticism, biases and lenses we automatically apply to human actors. Puppetry can push the limits of how a story gets told, mix mediums and styles like no other, and when it’s done well it’s exhilarating for the audience. I love writing puppet shows because I feel truly unlimited. The process of figuring out how are we going to do that, or how does that story want to be told is thrilling. Within the same story many different styles of puppetry can come together, each moment of the story told in the way that best supports it. It combines artistry, technical engineering and human performance in a way that uplifts and shows off each of them equally.

Pictured here: Daniela Santiago, Niko Carleo, Shelby Folks, Alejandra Ruiz, Kevin Roost, Evan Phillips, and Barry Westmoreland. Photo credit: Sydney Lee

What is your dream project? I’m actually in the midst of creating one of my dream projects now! I wrote book and lyrics for The Mad Hatterpillar and Her Many Heads (music by SB Hester) and we’ve been developing and expanding the show for over a year now. I’m set to direct a full length version (we also have a 45 minute education tour version) at Stage Door Theatre in Atlanta in January. Our dream show would have us picked up by a theatre with a massive budget, where we could fully explore the scope of puppetry and production for the show, and pair it with a fully funded education tour, but I’m excited to be at the stage we’re at. I have many dreams for Piccadilly shows I’d like to develop, spanning all areas of education. I’d also love to write and create a show for adults. My other passion is Shakespeare, and someday I would love to develop an adaptation of a Shakespeare play through puppetry. I have some ideas kicking around in the back of my brain, but that’s for another day.

What memorable responses have you had to your work? One of my favorites was sitting in the audience for the puppet musical I co-wrote and listening to a vocal child in the row behind me react to the snail character. He started out with “ugh, there’s that snail again,” and by the end he was hopefully asking “where’s the snail?” in every scene. Kids are always the best audience members…they are brutally honest.

What's the best piece of advice you've been given? I’ve received so many pearls of wisdom from peers and mentors over the years, it’s hard to pick one. I think the one I’ve tried to keep most to heart is one I’ve heard in different forms from various people, which is essentially to curate your career around what suits you, instead of trying to appease the expectation of others. I’ve wasted too much time trying to be the kind of performer I thought others wanted, or trying to do things the “right” way. These days I’m trying to stick to the “right for me” way.

BIO:

Rachel Frawley is an Atlanta-based actor, writer, director and producer. An apprentice company graduate of the Atlanta Shakespeare Co., she has worked as an actor in theatre, film, commercial, voice over, and has narrated over 35 audiobook titles. She is a producer for Weird Sisters Theatre Project and is Director of Piccadilly Puppets. Recently she was a writer, producer and actor for Tipsy Tales: Robin Hood. Rachel has worked and continues to train as an intimacy professional, is certified in Mental Health First Aid and is a certified Artistic Mental Health Practitioner. Recently she directed The Mad Hatterpillar and Her Many Heads at Out Front Theatre, and along with Sarah Beth Hester, has expanded the script to debut this version at Stage Door Theatre in January. 
 

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