By Wendy Riley, Guest Commentary
At just 21, Olivia Soileau has already proven to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of community theater. After 13 years in the theater community, Olivia is taking on her second show at the Leeds Arts Council. Regardless of her age, this visionary director has already displayed an exceptional ability to create memorable and captivating experiences for audiences of all ages.
The director grew up down the road from the Leeds Arts Council and spent most of her childhood walking to the theater to attend rehearsals and camps. Over her 13 years of acting experience in the Birmingham area, the vast majority has been at the Leeds Arts Council, making directing the biggest show of the season at this theater a dream come true for this passionate community theater lover.
During her junior year in high school, Olivia took on the direction of her first production, Seussical, with a cast of nearly 100 students of all ages. Despite the significant challenges that Olivia faced during this first production, she has continued directing ever since. In December of 2021, Olivia became the youngest director to take on a full production at the Leeds Arts Council through her direction of Little Women. Her innovative production gave this classic story a new life in the community and entertained people of all ages.
This summer, Olivia is taking on a different challenge, directing the Birmingham area premiere of a new musical, Something Rotten. She is joined by a brilliant team including her choreographer, Harper Soileau and music director, Carrie Self. Mark your calendars for this fun musical, brought to life by community talent!
Something Rotten runs at the Leeds Arts Council July 27, 28, 29 and August 3, 4, 5 at 7 p.m and July 30 and August 6 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be found at leedsartscouncil.org.