Rita Frizzell
NAKED STAGES ensemble member Rita Frizzell is a graphic designer with her own business called Dakini Graphics. The NAKED STAGES logo is one of her many imaginative creations:

1. How did you become a graphic designer?

I stumbled into it. Although I always had an affinity for design, I started in business on the writing/editorial/marketing side. In the late 80s I accepted a position as a director of public relations where part of my job was to edit a monthly 48-page magazine. Once I was hired, I asked who the production staff was and my boss said, “You are,” and pointed to a tiny new Macintosh SE on my desk. (Anyone remember those? The very first personal computers for Macs.) So I taught myself all the relevant programs and got to work. As it turned out, it was the dawn of desktop publishing so all the art directors in the world were also learning how to use the same programs at the same time. As time passed, I discovered that I enjoyed design more than writing and editing.

From there, I moved onto another job where a piece I designed won an Addy Award, the recognition program for the advertising and design industry. Then I moved to Atlanta and marketed myself as a freelance graphic designer. To my surprise, I got hired. Alot. And then I was hired as director of the Art Department for a large ad agency in Atlanta, and from there as vice president of Gold & Associates in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The owner of that company is Keith Gold, a legendary marketer who was one of the minds behind “Where’s the beef,” “When it absolutely positively has to be there overnight,” and “Head for the mountains of Busch Beer.” Working with him was like getting a masters degree in advertising and design.

In 1995, I returned to Nashville to be close to my family again, and worked first at Jackson Design and then as senior art director at Frank/Best International for ten years. Major clients included Honda, Yardley of London, and other national brands. In September of 2006 I launched out on my own as Dakini Graphics and have found my bliss!

2. How did you become interested in the arts?

Ah! My first love. I participated in theatre in high school and college and then spent a few years as a busy married lady. When I divorced in 1984, I reconnected with my drama roots and became very involved in Nashville theatre. I took a year out of my career and attended the Acting Studio Conservatory, which apprenticed with The Rep in shows such as Camelot, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Jesus Christ Superstar. When I moved to Atlanta, my life took on a different focus and I became a supporter of the arts instead of trodding the boards myself.

3. When did you first bring both interests together?

Gosh… high school? I was president of the drama club and editor of the literary magazine. But as a professional designer, at Frank/Best International I designed for theatre companies such as Nashville Children’s Theatre, The Rep, Mockingbird Theatre, and TPAC’s H.O.T. program. Several projects won Addy Awards and the Mockingbird brochure was featured in a design magazine.

4. What went into your thinking as you worked on the design of the NAKED STAGES logo and other graphic designs for the company’s productions?

As Mark explained to me, the concept of Naked Stages is to start with an empty stage and add only what is necessary to tell the story. The focus is on the narrative itself, not so much on wardrobe, set, props, etc. Mark shared the quote from Peter Brook: “A man walks across [an] empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theater to be engaged.” With that in mind, I designed a super-clean look including a logo that was almost an anti-logo. No frills, just a circle in a box, which could be interpreted many ways, but especially as one person on a stage, with nothing else but themselves to tell the story.

5. What are your current and future plans for your Dakini Graphics business (www.dakinigraphics.com)?

After 15 years at advertising agencies and five on the marketing side, I established Dakini Graphics to provide professional quality design without the agency hassle. I can work for clients on my own or due to so many years in the industry pull from a network of professionals to create a team customized for the job. I like working from home and I know the incentive of working for oneself, so as I grow I’m looking for very good designers to add to my network, so they can also work in a creative, entrepreneurial way.