Interview with Director Brendon Fox

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with The Learned Ladies director, Brendon Fox.

Fox's interest in theatre began in his teenage years growing up in Connecticut. This interest led him to study theatre at Northwestern University in Illinois and then to UCLA for his MFA.

He worked for the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, then later became an associate producer of radio plays at L.A. Theatre Works, which are performances inspired by classic radio serials. L.A. Theatre Works mission statement: “[To] enrich the cultural life of our national community through the use of innovative technologies to produce and preserve significant works of dramatic literature on audio..." The production process is similar to radio shows of the past. Instead of the typical rehearsal process of training for weeks on their movements and memorizing the script, these actors only perform vocally, using scripts. The sound effects for these shows are done by various objects used in creative ways to provide all the sounds needed that the actors can not provide themselves. Instead of relying on the visual, the audience is challenged to strictly image the setting. “I feel like people have more of an opportunity to listen to the text rather than focus on the visual aspect of the production," Fox said.

Fox is drawn mainly to not-for-profit theaters. They are allowed to take more risks because funding comes from both the public and private sectors, instead of solely on the income from ticket sales. He feels that theatre should be challenging to audiences: “theatre is a fire which contains both heat and light; the heat is the warming gathering which brings a sense of togetherness to the company and the audience; the light helps the audience to see an experience better and differently than before."

Outside the world of theatre Fox enjoys running, hiking, and (luckily) traveling; for the past year and a half, he's been directing throughout the country including: Colorado, Indiana, North Carolina, and now Texas. Fox enjoys directing in various places because it allows him to explore and sample local fare and restaurants. During one of his rare days off from rehearsals here at the Texas Shakespeare Festival, Fox took the opportunity to explore two nearby attractions: The Wild Animal Kingdom in Jacksonville and Sabine National Forest on the Texas-Louisiana border.

Fox commented on The Learned Ladies: "[R]ehearsal is going strong, the actors are having fun... [They are] chomping at the bit for an audience, and to take the show to the next level ..." Fox believes the play expands in a new way when new elements are added.

This production is set in 1915, the Pre-World War I era. He says to anyone who has not seen the show, or any work by Moliere, to not be intimidated by it: "The show is funny and fun, and the characters are likable and recognizable to anyone."

For more information or to purchase tickets for Moliere's The Learned Ladies directed by Brendon Fox, call the Texas Shakespeare Festival box office at 903-983-8601.