Samara Hersch

Samara Hersch is a Melbourne based theatre maker, director, dramaturg and teaching artist. She graduated with a Masters in Theatre Practice from Victorian College of the Arts and in 2010 was a recipient of the British Council Realize Your Dream Award. Samara was mentored by Bruce Gladwin, from Back to Back Theatre Co. through the JUMP National Mentorship Program (2010) and worked as a facilitator at Back to Back’s Theatre of Speed, as an emerging female director.

She is currently working with Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre as company dramaturg, St Martins Youth Art’s Centre as a teaching artist, Monash University as a teaching director, Back to Back Theatre as show director for their production of Super Discount at the Sydney Theatre Company as well as developing a new work with Kick Start artist, Louris Van de Geer for the 2014 Next Wave Festival.

Directing projects include: Love and Information by Caryl Churchill, NOA by Samara Hersch, House by Richard Maxwell, Permanence by Samara Hersch and Gabby Rose, Fire Face by Marius Von Mayenburg, Action by Sam Shephard, Lawrence and Hollowman by Morris Panych, Sky Sea Man by Lorence Orkin. Earlier this year Samara worked as an assistant director on The Crucible (Melbourne Theatre Company, Dir. Sam Strong). She has also worked as a director’s attachment on: The Ugly One by Marius Von Mayenburg (Melbourne Theatre Co., Dir. Peter Evans), The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer, adapted by Richard Tulloch (Belvoir St Theatre, dir. Neil Armfield), and Life is a Dream by Pedro Calderon (VCA, dir. Daniel Schlusser.)