ABOUT
The core theme of my work as a solo performer is exploring feminine subjectivity aka being a female human. Often existing in the realm of magical realism, my work is a combination of first person narrative, characters, humor, honesty, song, movement, and poetry, all thrown together in effort to find new ways to talk about the experience of being a woman in today's culture.
Most recently, I took a break from performing and development, spending the past year getting my MSc in
Sociology: Gender, Sexuality, and Society (2018) from the University of Amsterdam.
AN EXTREMELY ORDINARY GIRL
if given the opportunity, what would you turn yourself into?
8 female characters explore themes of beauty, redemption, death, mental illness and a new religion known as "Star Magic".
This "work in progress" has been developed through workshops at The Writing Pad in LA and as part of an artist in residence program at WildAcres in North Carolina. This project has been listed on Creative Capital's "On Our Radar" series.
SEXY MAUS
a coming of age at the age of 40 story
In this first person narrative piece, a single woman escapes overseas for three weeks and has one of those "Well, I had a sexual awakening and healed my sexual past in Europe" kind of experiences.
This show premiered at The 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
FROM SEVEN LAYERS TO A BIKINI TOP IN LESS THAN FIVE HOURS
how do we balance the need to be perfect with the need to be
a fully self-expressed woman?
In this piece, 7 female character's lives intertwine in an exploration of perfectionism, body image, and belonging.
Seven Layers was developed through workshops at The Field in NYC. It has been performed either in pieces or in its entirety in NYC, LA, Bali, Washington DC and North Carolina over the past few years.
STORYTELLING/MONOLOGUES
A baby sea lion has a unique encounter on the beach.
A naked ape tells a story.
Once I drove across the country while being addicted to Louise Hay.
Lessons I learned from my future self.
A lesson about the four types of promises and what to do with them.
i went to a Buddhist meditation once. i learned "i could die today." I've never been the same.
How waiting for a bus taught me how to wait for love.
Is high school over yet?
STILLS
AUDIENCE FEEDBACK
"Andrea Schell is that friend of yours who is the life of the party. Entertaining, enthralling, smart, sexy, she can salvage the shoddiest dinner party by her mere presence...Schell is a dynamo as she relates her journey through some of continental Europe’s inviting capitals...She is engaging, rippling with vitality and sexuality."
Bitter Lemons
"She is a skilled, facile performer with a keen gift for accents and elastic facial expressions."
DCist
"By seizing each of her characters in full from the moment she becomes them she performs the theatrical magic trick of making us forget that this is one actor playing many roles so that we can focus on the story, and enter the fictive dream...it's good art."
DC Theatre Scene
"Compelling!"
Examiner.com
"Great timing!"
surfsantamonica.com
"Count Andrea amongst the tiny handful of solo artists who can grab you by the lapels, pull you in, and get you to listen. It is a rare, honed skill."
"Andrea weaves different perspectives of the feminine deftly, bringing forth aspects of culture and the female experience in ways that made me laugh until it hurt, and want to cry for the wounds we as women carry."
"I had the rare opportunity of watching Andrea’s one woman show in the beautiful setting of Bali. She was funny, uplifting and oh so witty! I can’t wait to catch her show in Los Angeles! Don’t miss it!"
"You laugh+cry with her yummy+delicious characters."
"Andrea writes with the perfect blend of comedy and pathos."
PERFORMANCES/PROJECTS/ACTIVITIES
2018
Received MSc in Sociology: Gender, Sexuality, and Society from the University of Amsterdam
2017
OCTOBER - Amsterdam Feminist Club - Topic: Dating While Feminist
MONDAY, MARCH 13th - Performing at WriteClub - Topic: LEARN
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17th - Host of SHINE - Fireside at The Miles @The Miles Playhouse
FEBRUARY - THE THANK YOU WORLD PROJECT
After the amazing experience of the Women's March, a group of friends and I got together and sent out thank you cards to all the international sister marches. If you would like to send your own thank you card, go to www.thankyoucard.us for contact info and the cards!
JANUARY - Performed independent research on the circular nature of self-esteem in mothers, daughters, and womankind. You can read this review of the literature here.
2016
SUNDAY, JULY 10th - SHINE Host - The Promenade Playhouse
JUNE 4th-JUNE 25th - Sexy Maus @The Hollywood Fringe
SUNDAY, APRIL 17th - SHINE at The Promenade Playhouse - Hosting and Monologuing
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23rd - Hosting SHINE! at Fireside at The Miles Playhouse
2015
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14th - WriteClub @Bootleg Theatre - Monologuing
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7th - Max10 @Electric Lodge - Monologuing
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21st & SATURDAY, AUGUST 22nd - Seven Layers - Raleigh Arts Collective
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8th - Seven Layers - Private Residence/Charlotte
SUNDAY, JULY 12th - Excerpt from Extremely Ordinary Girl at The Capital Fringe Cabaret Space
JULY 10th-JULY 19th - Seven Layers at Capital Fringe
SUNDAY, APRIL 19th - Hosting SHINE at Third Street Promenade Playhouse
MONDAY, APRIL 6th - Storytelling at Max10 at The Electric Lodge
FEBRUARY - Podcast Host for Shine Santa Monica
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14th - Storytelling at BUSted
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4th - Storytelling at The Moth Santa Monica
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24th - Hosting a special edition of SHINE at Fireside at The Miles
2014
MID-NOVEMBER - ALL YOU MAGAZINE article on news stands - I was chosen for "BEST GIFT EVER" for a music video I made for my mother's 70th birthday. Watch it and enjoy here! Go here to view pix and the great article.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31st - SEVEN LAYERS performance in United Solo Theatre Festival in NYC
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29th - SEVEN LAYERS excerpt at the All For One October Salon in NYC
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22nd - STORYTELLING at WriteClub as part of Lit Crawl NoHo
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12th - HOST Shine as part of the LA Storytelling Festival
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th - ALL YOU MAGAZINE photo shoot
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th - SEVEN LAYERS performance in Tembok, Bali
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21st - Host SHINE
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16th - Weekend writing intensive with Lauren Weedman
MONDAY, AUGUST 11th - STORYTELLING at WriteClub
SATURDAY, JULY 19TH - Weekend writing intensive with Lauren Weedman
FRIDAY, JULY 18th - TIGER ORANGE World Premiere at The Ford
THURSDAY, JULY 17th - STORYTELLING at SHINE
THURSDAY, MAY 22nd - Judge Get Lit Classic Poetry Slam
WEDNESDAY, MAY 14th - ADR for Tiger Orange
MONDAY, MAY 5th - Wildacres Writing Residency
THURSDAYS, APRIL 10th & 17th - Performances of SEVEN LAYERS as part of Santa Monica Rep Solo Series
FRIDAY, APRIL 4th - Development class showing
MARCH - Producing video for Empowher!
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27th - STORYTELLING at Best of SHINE show
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5th - Continue development classes at Writing Pad
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29th - STORYTELLING at THE TRUNK SHOW
