Even amidst a stage filled with talented actors, Peter Frechette commands attention. Currently starring in “The Lehman Trilogy” at Austin’s Zach Theatre, this compelling performer embodies Henry Lehman, one of the business’s founders, alongside a diverse array of over two dozen other characters. The play itself spans three centuries, culminating in the 2008 financial crisis.
Just two years prior, Frechette delivered memorable performances in director Dave Steakley’s two-part production of “The Inheritance” at the same venue, further solidifying his reputation for captivating stage presence. Whether in stillness or motion, Frechette’s subtle nuances draw the audience in, compelling them to listen intently to every word.
Frechette, whose name is pronounced fruh-SHET, honed his craft in Rhode Island before making his mark on Broadway, film, and television. His career boasts nominations for Tony and Emmy Awards, among other accolades. In recent years, he has become a prominent figure in regional theater, including a five-year stint with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Based in Atlanta, where he imparts his acting expertise as a teacher, Frechette’s collaboration with director Steakley began after a play reading in Austin, facilitated by the New York-based Tectonic Theater Project.
The ambitious scope of “The Lehman Trilogy,” with its intricate tapestry of human stories, aligns perfectly with Frechette’s penchant for challenging roles. “Acting, at its core, is problem-solving,” Frechette explains. “And this play is a massive, living entity. The actors, our director Dave, everyone involved – we’re all working together to unravel a multitude of questions to authentically convey this narrative.”
Alt text: Peter Frechette embodying Henry Lehman in a scene from ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ at Zach Theatre, showcasing his compelling stage presence.
Embracing Imperfection: An Actor’s Evolution
Reflecting on his formative years in the theater department at the University of Rhode Island during the 1970s, Frechette, now 67, appreciates the hands-on, immersive training style prevalent at the time. “It was a vastly different era,” he recalls. “More unconventional, more relaxed. There was less emphasis on commercialization. That environment fundamentally shaped me. I tend to resist commercialism, branding, and the pursuit of unattainable perfection. While striving for excellence is admirable, perfection is elusive because we are, after all, human.”
This perspective aligns with Frechette’s comfort in being identified as a “humanist,” particularly in its emphasis on the interconnectedness of humanity and the wider world, including spiritual dimensions.
Given the remarkable fluidity of his vocal and physical performances, one might assume Frechette’s background is rooted in classical training. “I am not classically trained,” he clarifies. “However, classical training provides invaluable tools. Mastering your instrument – your voice and body – is crucial for delivering truthful performances on stage, especially when engaging audiences seated at a distance. It’s about projecting intimacy and energy to the furthest reaches of the theater, creating a palpable connection with the back row. We invite the audience to meet us, while simultaneously offering ourselves to them. This exchange is deeply rewarding for both actors and spectators.”
He further observes, “Audiences today are increasingly accustomed to screen-based storytelling. As audience members, we seek immersion in narratives without being distracted by the mechanics of acting itself. We want to be drawn into the story, not just observe performers performing.”
In Matthew Lopez’s 2022 two-part play, “The Inheritance,” inspired by E.M. Forster’s novel “Howards End,” Frechette portrayed two significant roles: the gentle, closeted author Forster in the first part, and the ailing, at times indignant Howard Poole throughout both parts. “Forster is among my most cherished writers,” Frechette shares. “Both characters are incredibly intriguing – peculiar, endearing, intellectual, odd, with Forster embodying a ghost-like mentor figure. He carries a sense of incompleteness, a tangible need to assist these characters to, in turn, find resolution for himself.”
He draws parallels with his current role: “Henry, too, is somewhat out of sync with his time, also peculiar, intellectual, profoundly eccentric, and emotionally complex – a quiet intensity. I found an entry point into both characters, but initially lacked a clear direction, which is precisely the kind of acting challenge I relish. In ‘Lehman,’ the initial hurdle is portraying three brothers in the 19th century and sustaining their story into the modern era. The sheer scope was initially daunting, which is exactly why I was drawn to it.”
Frechette admits to initial concerns about memory capacity, joking about potential “brain cell loss” impacting his ability to handle the extensive lines – each of the three principal actors in “Lehman” is responsible for over an hour of dialogue. However, his recent memorization of two Truman Capote novels for a performance, and his portrayal of Roy Cohn in “Angels in America” at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, reassured him of his capabilities.
Having spent years in the fast-paced world of stage and screen acting, Frechette has adopted a more deliberate approach to role selection in recent times. “I questioned my motivations,” Frechette reflects on a mid-career turning point. “I even considered leaving acting altogether. But I let go of concerns about fame and status. Those things no longer hold importance for me. My passion now lies purely in the act of acting itself. My career feels fluid, transient. My vocation has shifted towards teaching, which, paradoxically, reignites my desire to perform, but free from the burdens of ego.”
Alt text: Close-up shot of Peter Frechette during his performance in ‘The Lehman Trilogy’, capturing the intensity and emotion he brings to the stage.
‘The Lehman Trilogy’: A Story that Resonates
Director Steakley’s journey with “The Lehman Trilogy” began with seeing the production at London’s National Theatre, where it was acclaimed as the season’s must-see play. Despite anticipating a lengthy three-hour performance about the Lehman brothers’ financial empire, Steakley found himself immediately captivated.
“I was engrossed from the moment the three brothers arrived in America seeking a new life, through the firm’s eventual collapse that triggered a historic financial crisis,” Steakley writes in the show’s program. “The play’s narrative unfolded like a compelling binge-worthy series, leaving you wanting more.”
“And it provides so much food for thought!”
The narrative follows the brothers – Henry, Mayer, and Emanuel – as they build their enterprise from humble beginnings in general stores and apparel shops to commodity trading, and ultimately, through subsequent generations and leadership, to the subprime mortgage loans that precipitated their downfall.
Steakley’s staging of this expansive story utilizes scenic designer Sotirios Livaditis’ impressive set, which merges classical 19th-century banking architecture with a dynamic wall of flashing images evoking digital impulses, all masterfully illuminated by Benjamin Gantose’s lighting design (as observed during a technical rehearsal).
While the three-hour performance may seem substantial, Ben Power’s play is adapted from Stefano Massini’s original nine-hour poem on the subject, which delves deeply into the Lehman family’s enduring legacy.
“Stefano Massini was nine years old when his father saved the life of a Jewish employee in his factory,” Steakley explains. “In gratitude, the employee offered to enroll young Stefano in the synagogue’s religious school. This exposure to Jewish culture and literature in the synagogue basement became Massini’s first encounter with theater. For him, Jewish culture is intrinsically linked to the language of theater and innovation, which permeates his writing. The play explores not only the Lehmans’ Jewish identity but also their experience as outsiders.”
This theme of outsiders navigating a morally ambiguous world and their choices to engage with or manipulate it, connects “The Lehman Trilogy” to “The Inheritance.” For Frechette, this outsider perspective arguably enhances the characters’ “humanity.”
Ultimately, for Peter Frechette, acting is about “people expressing what it means to be human.”
‘The Lehman Trilogy’
When: Various times through July 7
Where: The Topfer at Zach Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd.
Tickets: From $25
Info: zachtheatre.org
