Francie Mendenhall Ms. Mendenhall began her career on Main Street at the old Playhouse Theatre in Houston. A member of one of Houston’s old “theatre families”, Ms. Mendenhall started acting at age seven, training and performing at the Playhouse Theatre and the Houston Theatre Center with Clare Harmon, Phil Oesterman, Tommy Tune, Bob Glenn and Marietta Marich. High points as a child actor were acting with legendary actor Pat O’Brien in “The Loud Red Patrick” at the Playhouse, acting in many plays and mus