I’m Leslie Fotheringham, and for more than forty years I’ve helped build community through theater in Las Vegas. I direct shows for Signature Productions, a company that gives people with everyday jobs and families a place to step onstage, tell stories, and reconnect with their creative side. What started as one small show decades ago has grown into a space where people from all walks of life come together to make something beautiful.

The theater inspires me because it’s where strangers become family. You see an accountant playing opposite a nurse, or a teacher running lights while a retiree sings her heart out, and for a few months they’re all chasing the same goal. That shared purpose creates a bond that lasts long after the curtain falls.

Las Vegas can be a hard city to find community in. It’s transient, fast, and often focused on spectacle. I want to offer something different: a place where people can connect, express themselves, and feel valued. My goal has always been to give ordinary people extraordinary opportunities to create.

What I get out of it is watching confidence bloom. Seeing someone who thought they could never perform walk out on stage, be brave, and find their people. It’s indescribable. Every show reminds me that community theater isn’t just about performing, but rather about belonging, healing, and giving people the chance to shine together.