DREW FRACHER is a Director, Fight Director and Actor who has freelanced professionally for over twenty-five years. He has directed plays from Shakespeare to world premieres at regional theatres throughout the U.S., staged fights for over two hundred and fifty professional productions, including Broadway and grand opera. He is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, The Society of American Fight Directors and Actor’s Equity Association.
As a director he has worked at a wide variety of theatres including the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, the Human Race Theatre Co., Cincinnati Shakespeare Co., Florida Stage, Playhouse on the Square, American Stage Theatre Co., the Alabama and Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals, Georgia Shakespeare and Cincinnati Shakespeare Co.
Recent directing projects include:
A CHRISTMAS CAROL and A CHRISTMAS STORY (Actors Theatre of Louisville – Louisville, KY)
GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES (Know Theatre of Cincinnati – Cincinnati, OH)
MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS (American Stage Theatre Co. – St. Petersburg, FL)
DYING CITY (New Stage Collective – Cincinnati OH)
OPUS / MORE FUN THAN BOWLING (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati – Cincinnati, OH)
OTHELLO / A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE / THE TEMPEST (Cincinnati Shakespeare Co. – Cincinnati, OH)
Drew serves as a Fight Master with the Society of American Fight Directors. Having held office as President, Vice President and/or Fight Master Representative of that organization for a total of nineteen years. His work as a Fight Director has been seen at theatres throughout the United States, including Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Missouri Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The George Street Playhouse, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the Alabama and Kentucky Shakespeare Festivals, Georgia Shakespeare, Cincinnati Shakespeare Co. and Shenandoah Shakespeare.
Fight direction credits include the Tony award winning revival of COMPANY on Broadway, directed by John Doyle, world premieres of THE HISTORY OF INVULNERABILITY, THE DEAD EYE BOY and HIDING BEHIND COMETS, as well as OTHELLO and KING LEAR at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, THE THREE MUSKETEERS and SWEENEY TODD at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, KING LEAR, MACBETH and HAMLET at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, MACBETH, HAMLET and ROMEO AND JULIET at the Georgia Shakespeare Festival, DRACULA, OTHELLO, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and numerous Humana Festival plays at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville.
He is a Master Teacher of stage movement and combat, instructing students at training programs and universities across the United States and internationally, including heading up the Teacher Training Program and Advanced Actor/Combatant workshop at the National Stage Combat Workshop held annually by the Society of American Fight Directors. Mr. Fracher is an honorary member of the British Academy of Dramatic Combat, the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat and the Nordic Stage Fight Society, where he developed and headed the Teacher Training Program.
As an actor he has performed in 33 VARIATIONS, RABBIT HOLE, INTIMATE APPAREL and SIGHT UNSEEN at the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati. Other recent credits include a fourth season as Bob Cratchit in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, BUG at the New Stage Collective in Cincinnati, OH as well as appearances the Cincinnati Playhouse, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Co. and the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
Mr. Fracher currently resides in Northern Kentucky with his actress wife Sherman.