Peter Frechette on Lehman Trilogy

You can't take your eyes off of #PeterFrechette. On stage with other captivating actors, he still holds your focus.

Currently, in Zach Theatre's "The Lehman Trilogy," Frechette plays a business co-founder and over two dozen other characters across three centuries, leading up to the 2008 financial crisis.

The Rhode Island-raised actor has graced Broadway, movies, and television, earning multiple Tony and Emmy nominations. Now based in Atlanta, he's shining in regional theater, enthralling audiences with his vocal and physical fluidity.

"'All acting is solving problems,' Frechette says... 'I'm just attracted to steep challenges.'"

At 67, Frechette reflects on his training: "We were looser... I'm allergic to commodification... Perfect isn't possible because we are human."

A self-described "humanist," Frechette explores connections between people, the world, and their spirituality. Despite his impressive career, he faced a mid-life crisis, questioning his path. Eventually, he stopped worrying about status and rediscovered his love for acting: "My vocation now is to teach, which... makes me want to act, but without the old ego."

"The Lehman Trilogy" director, [Dave] Steakley, was captivated by the play in London and brought it to Zach, adapting it from a nine-hour poem. The story explores the rise and fall of the Lehman brothers' financial empire, tying into Frechette's previous work, "The Inheritance," and its themes of outsiders negotiating a complex moral world.

Catch Frechette in "The Lehman Trilogy" at Zach Theatre until July 7. Tickets from $25.