New Member Feature: Pegasus Playhouse
Pegasus Playhouse is a nonprofit theatre company creating shows for and with young people of ALL ages in their theater in downtown Springfield. Creating new works while celebrating the classics of musical theater, Pegasus Playhouse focuses on the individual artist inside each person. Their motto is “Empathy, excellence, and a little insanity.” To welcome Pegasus Playhouse to the Chamber and downtown Springfield, we recently talked with their founder and artistic director, Scott Frazier-Maskiell.
Tell us more about Pegasus Playhouse. How did you get started?
I began my theatre career over 45 years ago, studying and performing in New York. After some Broadway and national tours, I landed a job teaching kids to make ends meet and fell right in love with the process. I’m a playwright and a composer as well, so creating shows for and with young people became a natural thing. I’ve worked for other junior theater organizations but wanted to be doing it full time as a company. So we began, four years ago, teaching and performing anywhere from the Raggozino [Lane Community College] to the Wildish Theater to an alley by 5th Street Market. But having our own space – a place that was The Playhouse – was the next step toward consistently bringing new young theatre to our community, while celebrating some of the old greats. I think we called ourselves “Pegasus Playhouse” stubbornly, knowing we’d have one someday.
What should the community know about Pegasus Playhouse?
We are led by professionals, teaching all aspects of musical theater. Acting, singing, and dancing are all a focus, with performance and learning technique being the goal. We live by our motto. We take artistic chances and find harmony within what can appear to be chaos. Young performers, and adults actually, need space to just be and find out who they are – to create from that place is key. There will be a major emphasis on bringing children’s theatre to our community in weekend matinees of new shows like Winnie The Pooh, Sherlock Holmes, and Alice In Underland, performed by the Pegasus company. Classes are offered during the week to all ages, including toddlers.
What makes Pegasus Playhouse unique?
We are focused on the individual artists, no matter the age, and we have fun. That’s something our actors come away with – our sense of serious fun. Another thing is that we bring new shows to light. In the past four years, we have premiered six brand new musicals … successfully! There is a also a connection to the broader theatre world that we foster; a sense of not just belonging to our theatre, but to the greater community of theatre. That, and the new children’s theater program – it will inspire new theatergoers.
Do you have anything exciting coming up in 2023?
So much! We will see the premiere of ALL of our children’s theatre shows, plus a brand new youth production of Snow White In Lights, set in 1930s New York City with tap dancing and a beautiful love story. Our Pegasus Academy School of Song and Dance begins in January as well as preparation for our summer camps: Hamilton Camp, Wicked Camp, Broadway Jr. Camp, and a production of Summer Stock Spamalot in partnership with Lane Community College.
MAINSTAGE SEASON*
• Snow White in Lights: March 10-19
• The Fantasticks: May 12-28
CHILDREN’S THEATRE SEASON*
• Winnie the Pooh: January 21 – February 12
• Sherlock Holmes: March 18 – April 9
• Alice in Underland: May 20 – June 11
*All dates listed are 2023
SUMMER CAMPS
What is the most difficult problem that you had to solve?
Honestly: finding a space was the hardest, so yay! But marketing, getting the word out, and sponsors are probably the biggest challenges, in general.
What do you like most about your work?
The best parts are the creation of art, finding joy in a young actor with something they love or are good at, the sense of community and friendship that develops, the feeling that comes with performing, and the actors being appreciated. Orchestrating not just the music, but the experience that led to this playhouse called Pegasus is a big thing too.
Do you have any advice for others?
Find out what you do. Share it. Be brave in kindness. Draw pictures. Sing songs. Act!
Anything else you’d like to share?
I’m just grateful that we ended up here. With a little push this could be a great place for people to experience theater at all levels. So I hope the community backs us and that we attract some great students.
Pegasus Playhouse is a non-profit theatre company located in Downtown Springfield, OR. Creating shows for and with young people of ALL ages. Focusing on the individual artist inside each person and creating new works, while celebrating the classics of musical theater. Their motto is “Empathy, excellence, and a little insanity”
For more information and to see their upcoming schedule of shows, visit their website HERE
