DIRECTING

Artistic Direction

Over 17 years at Seattle Public Theater, I had the honor of working intimately with world-renowned playwrights, directors, designers, and actors to create bold, thought-provoking theater. I brought to Seattle regional premieres of plays by playwrights such as Heidi Schreck, Julia Cho, Nathan Louis Jackson, Christopher Chen, Martyna Majok, Rebecca Gilman, Bryony Lavery, Christopher Shinn, A. Rey Pamatmat, Johnna Adams, Itamar Moses, Lisa Dillman, Deborah Zoe Laufer, Rolin Jones, Richard Greenberg, Josh Harmon, Alan Ayckbourn, Tracy Letts, David Mamet, and Theresa Rebeck, and well-received revivals of Albee, Pinter, Wilson, Fugard, Shaw, and Stoppard through contemporary lenses.

At SPT, I forged relationships with playwrights locally, nationally, and internationally with a focus on bringing in - and commissioning - exciting new scripts amplifying the voices of women, LGBTQ, and BIPOC artists. I believe in simultaneously challenging and delighting audiences with resonant themes, juicy text, dynamic staging, humor and heart.

With Penguin Productions, I launched the Finding Trails project, an innovative theater+trails festival bringing together environmental and arts professionals in collaboration with community members. Penguin commissions new scripts and partners with BIPOC theater organizations and environmental groups to communicate stories exploring our connection to public lands.

At ACT Contemporary Theatre I direct the New Works Northwest Festival, curating new plays by Pacific Northwest playwrights and finding artistic teams that will help move them forward to production. I lead curation efforts, sourcing the best in contemporary plays. I launched the Young Core Company, directing seasons of new work with emerging artists.

What people are saying about my direction:

Shana Bestock’s taut staging...teases out information and emotions with such skill, it keeps you guessing and wondering. It is no spoiler, though, to give the actors and their director high praise for making this fierce and delicate dance of nerves so riveting....genuinely provocative theater.  - Seattle Times

 “….achieves moments of breathtaking artistry.” – Seattle Weekly

 “intimate and touching” – Seattle Gay News

 “Seattle Public Theatre is developing quite a reputation for smart, fully-realized and inventive productions of contemporary plays. Shana Bestock's production is a fine example of just how good that can be.” – Seattle Actor

 “Shana Bestock's sensitive direction….builds a high level of trust among performers so subtle shifts in humor and irony can play off each other, until words, finally, can shatter on stage like glass. The actors couldn't be better…. Seattle Public Theatre again shows its commitment to challenging plays with this deeply moving show.” – Seattle Times

“Shana Bestock has taken a gaggle of twenty-one players and worked magic.” – Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“Shana Bestock stages a vigorous production. Nothing is predictable. Everything is peculiarly satisfying as serious psychology meets quirky comedy” – Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Hits it out of the park….Shana Bestock directs with compassion and understanding - Seattle Gay News 

I have admired the way you handle directing in such a multi-dimensional way. I’m in awe. - Colleague

You are a total master of the art. So proud to be able to enjoy your work. – Patron

The theater Shana brings to life is serious, hilarious, engaging, relevant and transformative - Audience Member

What people have said about my acting work:

Bestock, Seattle Public Theater's Artistic Director, makes Catherine hard to take your eyes off. It's a great part, and Bestock keeps nothing back. Catherine's anger, playfulness, sarcasm, hurt, fear and longing are all there to see. – Seattle Times

Shana Bestock’s performance is fully committed and impressively controlled.- Seattle Actor

Shana Bestock carries the true spine of the story….She maintains the kind of psychological edge to her character that makes you wonder just how the hell actors do what they do. – Seattle Times

Directing - representative productions 

The Wave (and what came after), ACT Contemporary Theatre

My Name is Asher Lev, Aaron Posner, Penguin Productions

Amadeus Peter Shaffer Seattle Public Theater

Bad Jews Joshua Harmon Seattle Public Theater

Talley's Folly Lanford Wilson Seattle Public Theater

Gidion's Knot Johnna Adams Seattle Public Theater

The Language Archive Julia Cho Seattle Public Theater

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Tom Stoppard Seattle Public Theater

Arms and the Man George Bernard Shaw Seattle Public Theater

The 13th of Paris Mat Smart Seattle Public Theater

3 Tall Women Edward Albee Seattle Public Theater

Master Harold…and the boys Athol Fugard Seattle Public Theater

A Wedding Story Bryony Lavery Seattle Public Theater

The Sweetest Swing in Baseball Rebecca Gilman Seattle Public Theater

Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare Seattle Public Theater

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Barbara Robinson Seattle Public Theater

Awards, Recognition, Publications

Gregory Nominee Theater of the Year, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Community Engagement

Footlight Award 2003-2014 in various categories including Acting, Directing, Ensemble, and Production

Gypsy Rose Lee Award Outstanding Director and Ensemble nominee ('14)

Featured Panelist, Intiman Theater, “Diversity in the Arts”

Featured Panelist, Freehold Theater, “Directing”

Lifetime Achievement Award, Youththeatre Northwest

Jewish in Seattle Magazine, “Bad Jews”

Director's Notes, Shana Bestock - collected essays

Guest Director Positions

University of Washington

Seattle University

Seattle Pacific University

Pork Filled Players

Cornish College of the Arts

Seattle Central Community College

Centrum Center for the Arts and Creative Education

Book-It Repertory Theater 

Court Theater (Chicago)

Shattered Glass Project

ACT Theatre Young Playwright’s Festival

NextBook at Benaroya Hall with Susan Stamberg