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To couple, Chicago's for work, but Dallas is for play
By LAWSON TAITTE Theater Critic
Published July 20, 2004
Abbreviated
Enlightenment Productions is one of several theatrical groups
started here recently by married couples. But this one was founded by a
couple that lives 1,000 miles away and will do so indefinitely.
Leslie and Brandon Fletcher grew up
hereabouts - she went to high school in Plano, he in
Carrollton.
He has finished an MBA at the University of Chicago; she's still working
on one there. She serves on the boards of several theaters, including
Chicago's Neo-Futurists (where Urinetown librettist Greg Kotis got his
start).
Until now, Ms. Fletcher always considered her
sister, Jill Mueller - a San Francisco improvisational actress - the
artist in the family. But now she's bringing theater in the
Neo-Futurists style to Texas.
"When I was in high school, there was no
place to go here," she says. "In Chicago, you see people of all ages in
the theater."
With some help from her sister, she opened /ochen
chotto schpiel/:"very little play" on Saturday. The first half of the
title blends words from Russian, Japanese and German; the show consists
of very short segments, juxtaposing scripted works and poems,
improvisation and music.
"I did a lot of the creative side on this
show, and I love it," says Ms. Fletcher. "The concept is that everything
should be both written and performed by the artists themselves. They
interact directly with the audience. That's very attractive to people,
because it makes them feel they're part of the show."
Ms. Fletcher isn't crazy about living in
Chicago, where her husband has an investment company (which has enabled
him to back the show here). Eventually, she'd like to divide her time
between Dallas and San Francisco. But she isn't putting any limits on
herself:
"Who knows, maybe next time I'll start a
theater in Russia."
E-mail
ltaitte@dallasnews.com
/ochen chotto schpiel/:"very little play"
Saturdays at 8 and 10 p.m. through Aug. 7. Addison Conference Centre,
15650 Addison Road, Addison. $10. 1-877-590-4400 or
www.abbreviatedenlightenment.com
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