SANDRA BENDOR
Executive Director

Sandra has been producing and directing new plays and musicals for family theatre for over 25 years. Born in Paterson, NJ, she began her performing career as a child singing folksongs. After earning her BA in Piano and Music Education at Montclair State University, NJ, Sandra performed concerts of folk music for the National Endowment for the Humanities in prisons, libraries, schools and theatres in 49 states.

In 1973, the LaMama Experimental Theatre Company sent Sandra to perform in Tel Aviv, Israel, for just one month – she stayed for 15 years. During this time, she taught acting at Tel Aviv University, directed award-winning plays, and performed leading roles at the Habimah National Theatre. Sandra also gave solo concerts for visiting Americans, including President and Mrs. Gerald Ford, performed with Marvin Hamlisch for the Israel Museum and with Leonard Bernstein for the Jerusalem Foundation, and performed for the US State Department throughout Europe and Asia. In 1985, she was voted Israeli Singer of the Year, and was also nominated for Best Director for the children’s play, “Flairy Tales” (co-produced by Sandra and husband/artistic partner Ben Bendor. As a writer/translator (Hebrew and English), Sandra also worked on BBC projects in England and was awarded the US National Theatre Translation Award. In 1987, the Bendors and their three children returned to the United States, where Sandra and Ben founded ArtsEcho to create original, entertaining, and educational plays and musicals for family audiences.