A Playwright Speaks

This is the third part in a series interviewing “Hair Frenzy” playwright Travis G. Baker.

PENOBSCOT THEATRE COMPANY: Can you explain your involvement with readying Hair Frenzy for its world premiere? What has the experience with Penobscot Theatre Company been like?

TRAVIS G. BAKER: At present, I’m just concentrating on the words and letting Dominick [Varney, the director] and Meredith [Perry, production stage manager] and the actors and the designers and the crew and the staff worry about everything else. One of the big bonuses to writing plays is there are so many people doing so much to make a thing you wrote down come alive. The dedication, support, belief, encouragement and commitment to that objective has been awesome at Penobscot Theatre Company.

PTC: What is the worst haircut you’ve ever had?

TGB: [I’m currently] living it.

PTC: How is playwriting different from writing for other mediums?

TGB: The magic of theatre is what occurs between actors and audience. It is a living form because we experience it together. We breathe together, we laugh together, we cry together and each performance is unique because the people experiencing it that particular night are different than any other night. A play must be crafted with this in mind. An audience has been kind enough to drag themselves out of their homes to attend your show, give them the opportunity to experience magic.

Come experience Travis’ own brand of magic at Penobscot Theatre Company. “Hair Frenzy” runs through February 14. Purchase tickets by calling (207) 942-3333 or online at www.penobscottheatre.org.

Amy Roeder

About Amy Roeder

Director of Education – Amy Roeder is pleased to be joining the staff at PTC. Amy received her BFA in theatre from the University of Evansville and her Master of Fine Arts in acting from The University of Georgia. She recently relocated to Bangor from Chicago where she taught and performed with famed comedy institution The Second City. Local audiences may have seen her onstage with Improv Acadia in Bar Harbor where she has been a company member since 2005. Amy has performed all over the country including at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park and with the Improv Asylum in Boston. In addition to teaching acting and improvisation classes all over the world, Amy is also designs and facilitates workshops in improvisational techniques for businesses. Amy hates writing in the third person.