Society & Culture
In this episode, we learn what it’s like to produce theater in unlikely places from relatively remote mountain villages of Taiwan to the elaborate Casinos of Macau. (Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to get into his adventures starting up a Tex-Mex taco truck in France’s Provence region. We’ll have to save that for part 2.) Chad Leslie has worked extensively throughout Asia and the Middle East, directing, designing and producing across multiple areas of the arts and entertainment industry including theme parks, casino resorts, special events, stage, television, arts festivals, street performance and installations. He is the former Director & Lecturer of Center for Arts Technology & Education, University of St. Joseph’s, the Artistic Coach and Acting Teacher for Cirque Du Soleil in China. He was the Resident Artistic Director under legendary creator Franco Dragone at “The House of Dancing Water” in Macau, China where co-directed / produced multiple commercials, events and television productions in the Dancing Water Theater including “Up Idol” for Hunnan TV, a “The Amazing Race,” and the 2014 Asian Film Awards. He was the Resident Artistic Director for “LaPerle” in Dubai as well as the Associate Director of Creation for the Land of Legends Theme Park in Antalya, Turkey. He has produced numerous projects, shows and special events at the Macau Grand Prix, the World Expo in Shanghai, China, the Galaxy-Macau Casino and Resort, Wynn, and at MGM, Macau. After 20 years abroad, he’s proud to be returning to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) having graduated from the Directing Program in Drama in 1999.