Beloved Long Time Member Of Perseverance Theatre, Peter Freer, Passes On

Peter Freer died the morning of Friday, September 25th at his winter home in Happy Valley, Arizona. He had been diagnosed with cancer several months ago.

Peter grew up in Juneau. From the very start of Perseverance, he gave much of himself to make it successful. He volunteered in many capacities. He spear-headed the digging out of the crawl space next to the cross-over for the Mainstage so that the theatre could have a props room. He appeared on stage in Desire Under the Elms, Enemy of the People, and many productions by Theatre in the Rough. He served on the Perseverance Board from 1986 - 1999 and was Vice President from 1995 - 1997, and President from 1997 - 1999. He also served as Interim Managing Director with Merry Ellefson in the 2007 - 2008 season. He was an insightful, kind, level-headed, generous, energetic man. He will be missed.

Molly Smith, the Founder of Perseverance Theatre, and now the Artistic Director of Arena Stage in Washington DC remembers Peter fondly, "Peter Freer was a rare human being. He led with his heart and his head and was a committed and active supporter of Perseverance Theatre and the City of Juneau. He was selfless and a super volunteer always supporting various communities to realize their fullest potential. What a loss for all of us in Alaska."

Merry Ellefson recalls, "In my two decades of work with Peter at Perseverance Theatre (PT), he taught me that theatre is about people -- people talking, listening, and communicating (or not). It's about how when we disagree, agree and strengthen relationships, we build a trusting and engaged community. And of course this lesson is not just about theatre, it's about his belief in what really matters...He spoke passionately about the essential role PT played keeping Juneau healthy and vibrant. The relationships he formed exist beyond this day and have positively impacted the various trajectories of our bold arts organization."

Peter is survived by his wife, Sharon Gaiptman and their daughter Becca Freer and her wife Evana.

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