Biography

Shellina Hefner

Shellina Hefner is a theatre artist based in San Diego. She graduated from UCSD with a Bachelors in Theatre & Dance, and has since worked with companies such as Blindspot Collective, La Jolla Playhouse and Breakthrough Workshop Theatre on mostly new work and new work development. She is primarily an actor, however works as a producer, director, writer and stage manager for a variety of projects. Shellina has been a teaching artist and has worked with youth all over San Diego County for 5 years. Her workshops and plays often focus on the underrepresented voices and bodies of our community, and she leads with a restorative and open teaching style and mindset. Shellina believes that teaching theatre practices not only instill skill and confidence into her students, but also broadly teach empathy and collaboration in a way no other field can. She is excited to be joining the Junior Theatre team!

CLASSES

Fall Session: Playwriting Lab

Trash Panda-monium

Production by Blindspot Collective
Co-Directed by Desha Crownover and Marc Caro-Willcox
Written by Shellina Hefner and Elissa Russell

Audiences of all ages are greeted by a friendly forest ranger who places a campsite under their care and supervision. When three clever raccoons arrive to explore the mysterious objects left behind, young audiences must consider how to balance friendship and collaboration - imagining playful games and scenarios through the lens of sustainability. Scout, Bandit, and Ringo use their imagination to turn trash into treasure, encouraging youngsters to participate in a stormy game of pretend, sharing their own methods of communication, and solving problems. When the fun and games cause a mess, audiences and trash pandas alike must untangle important lessons about sustainability, working together, and keeping all of our natural habitats clean and safe.