Heading to the Opening (Night)

The name "Bankshot" comes from the game of pool, where, sometimes, the best shot isn’t a direct shot but a banked one, one that comes from a different direction. 

Bankshot's style has been described as "vibrant storytelling". Each piece attempts to portray life and humanity through silent mime, traditional storytelling, and embodied poetry to offer healing, community, and hopefulness to audiences.

We strive to connect with audiences in the most effective ways possible. That's why so many pieces are silent, but sound and speech are welcome if they help make that connection. Bankshot celebrates the small, intimate, and mundane—the space where we all live. 

Join the Bankshot Theatre community and stay up-to-date with all the latest news and events. Connect with us on social media and be a part of the magic. 

Little Red Hen Productions covers everything else that a solo performer can't. Some things just need to be said and LRHP steps in when no one else will. From staged readings to collaborations with other performers, LRHP offers unique theatre experiences.

Current performance projects are:

• Full length epics
• Songs
• Poems
• Monologues and
• Half-baked stuff 

Lelia Pendleton is a mime, storyteller, and theatre creator known for original works combining mime, traditional storytelling, and embodied, movement-based poetry. Her performances explore the emotional power of physical theatre and the way movement can communicate meaning beyond words. She is the artist for theatres, storytelling festivals, and physical-theatre events seeking innovative, movement-driven work.

Inspired by the timelessness of myths, legends, and folklore, Lelia uses classic stories to illuminate modern themes. Her work focuses on faith, hope, motherhood, resilience, love, and the human condition—finding unexpected beauty in both the fragile and the everyday. Her style resonates strongly with storytellers and theatre artists who appreciate character-driven, visual performance.

Lelia’s passion for performance began at age 6, when she starred as the Cat in The Little Gingerbread Boy. That early spark led to a lifelong journey in the performing arts. She founded the Laurel Street Mime Troupe, which toured Central Virginia, and later trained at the renowned Celebration Barn Theater with master mime Tony Montanaro, deepening her foundation in physical storytelling and movement-based theatre arts.

 Throughout her career, she has:

• Created and performed original mime and theatre works for regional theatres and arts festivals
• Directed and staged community performances suited for small theatres and touring productions
• Taught mime, movement, and storytelling to youth and adults, including theatre artists looking to expand physical expressiveness
• Performed at festivals, arts events, and theatres across Virginia, engaging festival planners and community arts programmers
• Developed workshops for performers seeking physical expression, nonverbal clarity, and physical-theatre training

Today, Lelia continues to create movement-driven performances that invite audiences to feel first and interpret second—storytelling that speaks through gesture, rhythm, silence, and imagination. Based in Richmond, Virginia, she is committed to making the performing arts accessible, engaging, and deeply human. Her work remains especially resonant for theatres, storytelling festivals, performance educators, and artists exploring physical theatre.