While at Wellesley College she concentrated on acting and performed in such productions as Equus, Elektra, On the Twentieth Century and the New England premiere of Mr Smith, a musical written by the team behind the acclaimed performing group The Capitol Steps.
Upon graduating Wellesley with a BA in Theatre Studies, Lesley moved to England where she undertook an MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths College, University of London. During this time she worked at the Donmar Warehouse, one of London’s most acclaimed theatres, under the direction of "American Beauty" director, Sam Mendes.
She spent two years as the Programmes Administrator for The Mousetrap Foundation, a theatre charity which provides access and educational opportunities for young people, with limited means and resources, to attend productions in London’s West End. While there, she co-ordinated a fundraiser for the foundation in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the play The Mousetrap – the world’s longest running play – working closely with the play’s original star, Lord Richard Attenborough.
the world premiere of Leon Katz’ Sonya starring the five-time Tony Award-winning actress Julie Harris, along with independent film stalwart Philip Baker Hall. She was also a production intern at New York Theatre Workshop, the birthplace of the musical Rent, where she built sets for Eugene O’Neill’s More Stately Mansions. 