Shari Sebbens
Jury Member
Shari trained in Aboriginal Theatre at WAAPA and graduated from NIDA with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting).
In 2019 Shari was named the Sydney Theatre Company’s Richard Wherrett Fellow, a prestigious pathway for emerging directors. In 2020 Shari mark her directorial debut with Superheroes for Griffin Theatre. In 2021, she directed Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner for Darlinghurst Theatre Company and The Seven Stages of Grieving for Sydney Theatre Company (STC).
From 2021 to 2024 Shari was resident artist at STC where she directed the co-production City of Gold for both Black Swan Theatre and STC ; A Raisin In The Sun & Fences for STC for which she won the 2024 Sydney Theatre Award for best direction of a mainstage production. She Co-directed Is God Is for Melbourne Theatre Company and STC. In 2023 she also directed Blaque Show Girls for another mainstage company, Griffin Theatre.
Shari’s acting credits for film include: Australia Day, The Darkside, The Sapphires, Teenage Kicks, Thor: Ragnarok, Top End Wedding and The Moogai.
Her television credits include: 8MMM, Black Comedy, The Gods of Wheat Street, The Heights, Redfern Now (for which she was awarded the Logie Award – Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent), Soul Mates, Ta Da!, Preppers, & Return to Paradise S2 for the ABC.
Amazing Grace for Channel 9. For SBS: A Chance Affair, Little J & Big Cuz (animation). For Stan: Thou Shalt Not Steal. For Amazon Prime Video: The Office, Top End Bub and Deadloch S2.
Shari’s voiceover work includes: 4 seasons of the animated series Little J & Big Cuz and numerous audiobooks including The Invisible Women’s Society by Nikki Gemmell, Women and Leadership by Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire by Nat Amoore, After Story by Larissa Behrendt, Red Dust Running by Anita Heiss, and DisGraced by Rose Hartley.
Shari has worked across all main stage theatre companies in Australia. For Griffin: The Bleeding Tree, City Of Gold (Griffin/Queensland Theatre), A Hoax (Griffin/ La Boite). For Belvoir: Back At The Dojo & Radiance. For Black Swan State Theatre Company: Our Town. For Queensland Theatre: An Octoroon. For Sydney Theatre Company: A Cheery Soul, Black Is The New White & The Battle of Waterloo.
This year, Shari began as an Associate Producer for Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of My Brilliant Career.
