Fonds paa-9710 - Zandra Bell fonds

<p>Zandra Bell is an Edmonton-based performing artist. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, she moved to Alberta in 1987 and worked as the regional director of the passport office for the federal government. She began performing with the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre in 1988 and pursued acting as a hobby until 1994, when she left the civil service and became a self-employed performer. She developed several characters that she performed in several venues, including the Edmonton Street Performers Festival, the Halifax Buskers' Festival, and the Vancouver Comedy Festival. The most prominent of her characters is Shirley Best, a flamboyant and brash portrayal of a middle-aged woman.</p>;<p>In 1994, Bell created a company, At Wit's End, to manage appearances at corporate events, parties, weddings, etc. These appearances form the bulk of Bell's work and are customized comedy shows that feature her character, Shirley Best, in comedy routines based on extensive research that tailor the show to the needs of the clients.</p>;<p>In her career, Bell has performed one-person shows centred on Shirley Best, appeared in the Edmonton Fringe Festival, written a book entitled I Was a Middle-Aged Dating Machine, and has been featured in programs on CBC, CBC Radio, WTN, CLT, and ACCESS.</p>