Hester Schell, MFA.
A master acting teacher, writer, producer, stage and film director, actor, mentor and coach. Her academic background includes: Professor of Theatre Arts: De Anza College in California, where she pioneered the film acting and stand-up comedy programs; Adjunct Professor of Theatre: Notre Dame de Namur University. Guest Faculty: University of London, San Francisco’s Film Arts Foundation, The San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking, and Film Acting Bay Area.
Recent plays and screenplays:
Colony Collapse, The Dark Room, Soul’s Messenger, and A Cup Of Coffee, (written for the New England Russian Theatre Festival).
Recent directing:
Provincetown Playwrights Festival, New England Russian Theatre Festival. Shorts: Ju$T Under A Million (narrative comedy), which premiered at the Beverly Hills High Definition Film Festival and is airing on cable in Austin, Dallas and Atlanta on the Hottv channel.; Blankets for Afghanistan (documentary) broadcast through Free Speech TV. Other film festivals include: Cannes, Cinequest, San Francisco International Film Festival, Rochester and Boston Film Festivals and others.
Career highlights include touring England with the award winning puppet company Lunatique Fantastique and while in graduate school, she was part of the team representing the USA in Russia at the International Children’s Theatre Festival.
She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Harvard Square Screen Writers. Speaking engagements include the Connecticut Screenwriters Association, San Francisco Chapter of Indie-Club and San Francisco Black-American Film Festival.
Master of Fine Arts: University of Utah;
Bachelor of Arts: Portland State University;
Associates of Arts: American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
Conservatory training: Trinity Square Repertory Theatre Conservatory, Providence, Rhode Island.
Hester has been casting plays, short films and features throughout her career and is available for workshops and seminars on a variety of topics.
