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ALTON - With the announcement that Alton Little Theater has hired a new executive director, current Artistic Director Kevin Frakes is preparing to step down.
Frakes has worked with Alton Little Theater (ALT) for 57 years. He will retire in December after the theater’s run of “A Christmas Carol,” which Frakes is directing.
“I’m ready,” Frakes said. “I’ve been there for over 50 years, and I think it’s time.”
Frakes said he regularly spends 12–14 hours a day at the theater. In addition to directing, he builds sets and completes administrative tasks for ALT.
Lee Cox, current executive director, will also be stepping down in 2025. She plans to take on a mentorship role through May while the new executive director, Eric Sykes, assumes the position in January. Sykes’s new role will combine the positions of executive director and artistic director.
“Dear Kevin Frakes will be retiring after ‘A Christmas Carol,’” Cox explained. “As we’re wiping the tears away, we will be handing the mantle to Eric Sykes, and Eric will be taking over. He’s going to be the executive director, but he’s really doing the creative director and the executive director. We’ve kind of melded it together and said, ‘You’re younger, do two jobs.’”
Frakes is preparing to transition out of his role at ALT at the end of this year, but he is staying busy in the meantime. He recently built the set for “Making God Laugh” in three days, and he will be auditioning actors for “A Christmas Carol” later this month. Anyone who wants to audition for “A Christmas Carol” should come to ALT at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 or Sept. 28; click here for more information about auditions.
While Frakes will miss ALT, he said he is looking forward to retiring and spending time with his wife. They plan to travel to Disneyland and enjoy many state parks. Frakes is especially excited to see the redwoods of California.
He looks forward to watching how ALT evolves under Sykes’s leadership, but he won’t be completely gone from the theater. He noted that he lives within five minutes of ALT, and his phone is always on if Sykes needs anything.
“I just think it’s time to turn it over to the new generation, and Eric is a great guy and I know he’ll keep it going,” Frakes added. “He’s got some great ideas. He will follow some of the stuff we did and bring in his own knowledge and make the place grow. I really feel confident in that.”
For more information about Alton Little Theater, visit their official website at AltonLittleTheater.org.
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