Monika: Apart from acting, you directed over 20 theatre plays. How did you find theatre directing?
Aleshia: Directing seemed a natural extension of my years spent touring in dinner theatre. As with most things that occurred in my life, it just sorta happened as a matter of course. The opportunity presented itself and I took it. There had, of course, been courses in directing as part of the curriculum in both undergraduate and graduate school.
Once out in the real world, I gradually began expressing my desire to direct, then negotiating this as part of my contractual acting agreement with several theatres. Nothing ventured; nothing gained. It worked out nicely. I truly love directing, perhaps more than I adore being on stage. Later, when I became a professor of university theatre, the foundation for directing main stage productions was already in place. From time to time, things do just seem to fall naturally into place.
