Hi there! I'm Ellen Mimi Schlecht (aka "Mimi"). I am a multi-hyphenate (theatre) artist from Delaware currently based in Brooklyn, NY. I am dedicated to playful & imaginative storytelling and have a passion for accessible, equitable arts education. I have been involved in theatre from a young age, and owe all of my passion & success to my many mentors throughout the years.
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My biggest goal is to become a mentor for other young theatre-artists, empowering them to use the tools of theatre in other aspects of their lives, whether that's leadership, collaboration, or character-building.
Igraduated from NYU Tisch with a BFA in Drama and BA in Politics, currently pursuing my Masters in Art & Public Policy. During my time at NYU I also served as Managing Director of Broke People Play Festival (NYU's largest student-run new works play fest.)
I view my directing practice as an act of collage, and attempt to practice collaging as much as I can while away from the theatre. Collage is an act of ripping objects apart and piecing them back together. As a collage artist, I additionally enjoy bringing together objects or materials that seemingly do not belong together. When ideas or objects that differ collide, something completely new is born. It is not merely juxtaposition, but instead an act of rebirth within intersection.
My art sits at this intersection. ​
Directors must navigate through meeting the needs of their audience, their actors, their crew, their designers, as well as their own personal artistic vision. In the 3rd grade, I was enrolled in a Catholic school where the motto was “serviam”, or, “I will serve.” This motto was instilled in me. When in collaboration with other artists, I ask myself how my work is not only serving my collaborators and myself, but also my larger community. Directors are there to serve not only their individual visions, but the vision of the entire team. As a director, I hope to be of service to those around me as well as my audience. I hope to inspire, provoke, guide, and investigate issues plaguing those around me through my work. My dream is that these acts allow my work to exist beyond the stage and in the minds of those who come to see it.
Totally going to be the next famous Delawarean...
