LOGAN, Utah — As a professor, actor and mentor, Leslie Brott balances academia and professional theater, inspiring students at Utah State University while maintaining a distinguished reputation on stage.
Brott, the associate dean for faculty development in the Caine College of the Arts and head of actor training in the Department of Theatre Arts at USU, has performed on stages across the country, bringing iconic characters to life.
From playing Dottie Otley in “Noises Off” at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre to embodying Eleanor of Aquitaine in “The Lion in Winter” at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, she has built a name for herself in the world of theater.
Now this spring, Brott is set to play Prospera in “The Tempest” for her third engagement with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
“Prospera is one of those roles that actors wait for — it’s a huge, complex character,” she said. “It’s a role about evaluating your life, what you’ve given to the world, and what your obligations are. That’s why it’s a part for an experienced actor, and I feel really fortunate to be taking it on.”
Being asked to play Prospera is a testament to an actor’s skill, stage presence and ability to bring complex literature to life in an accessible way. Brott’s selection for the role highlights her professional expertise and reputation as an accomplished artist.
But her skills go beyond the professional realm, she infuses all of her experiences into her teaching.
“My acting and my teaching — they both inform the other. I became a better actor after I started teaching,” Brott said. “Having to articulate my creative process every day to teach someone else made me closely examine my own work. And as I refined my process, I became more effective in my preparation as an actor, which helped me teach my students better shortcuts and techniques. It’s a cycle that makes both my acting and my teaching stronger.”
Now a seasoned professor, she recalls the feeling of initially falling in love with theater in her youth.
“I am one of those strange people whose parents got me into it. I’m from a little tiny town in Northern California called Paradise, and we did not have drama courses in my high school,” Brott said. “My dad would say to me, put your book up and come out here and watch this movie with me. I remember watching ‘The African Queen’ with my dad, and I loved the storytelling, and the emotional reaction I had to it. I knew the shared emotional reaction to the storytelling and shared appreciation for the craft and artistry of the storytellers was a really precious thing.”
At a young age she realized that through the art of theater, we are connected to the communal human experience.
“Storytelling has a profound impact on people — it allows us to experience emotions, navigate high-stress situations, and connect with the world around us,” Brott said. “And you know, that’s why people come to us. I mean, that’s why you turn on the television every night. As we tune in, we’re secure at home, but we can become safely and fully involved in high-stress situations through the telling of stories, and that wakes us up a little bit as human beings.”
Brott felt the power of that connection, even if she couldn’t yet put it into words. Her love for storytelling only grew stronger over time.
“You know, I can articulate that now, but when I was young, all I knew was that that connection was really important for everybody in the world, and it was really important for me. So, when I went off to college and became a theater major at my mother’s suggestion, I felt like I’d found my community, and that was it — man, I was hooked.”
Her acting journey has taken her to several stages and universities around the country, shaping a career that includes performances at major theaters like the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, GeVa Theatre, PCPA Theatrefest, and an impressive 17 seasons with the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Among all the knowledge she has acquired, one piece of wisdom stands out above the rest — use your artistic doubts as fuel to drive you forward.
“No one ever gets over their doubts. In fact, you don’t want to get over your doubts. Your artistic doubts are the things that make you keep striving to improve,” she said. “Everybody always has that moment of, ‘What if I screw this up? This is going to be the time when I blow it.’ And I’m in my 60s, and I still think, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to let everyone down.’”
Rather than viewing doubt as a weakness, she embraces it as a driving force for growth.
Her decades of experience on stage have not eliminated those moments of uncertainty but have reinforced the idea that even the most accomplished artists continue to refine their craft.
By openly sharing her own struggles, she demystifies the pressures of performance and reminds her students that true artistry lies in perseverance, self-awareness and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
“We want you to think that we’re just living up there, that anybody could do this,” she said. “But that is a myth. It takes an incredible level of skill, concentration, and focus to maintain a character for anywhere from two to four hours, and to keep the audience — and myself — emotionally involved. I’m proud of my ability to do so.”
And she will continue to attract audiences in the coming months. This Summer, Brott will appear in “The Importance of Being Earnest,”and the recent U.K. dark comedy, “Home, I’m Darling” at the Lyric Repertory Company.
Tickets and more information are available on the Lyric Rep website.