Lester’s many directing credits, in venues across the country, range from Shakespeare to premiere productions. Lester was Director in Residence at New York’s The Basic Theatre and Artistic Director of Shakespeare in San Marco in Jacksonville, FL. In addition, he directed numerous readings and workshops and worked with the literary departments of the Manhattan Theatre Club, Westbeth and Hartford Stage.

Lester is the co-author of several screenplays. Sundance published a series of his plays for children. He co-developed the program P.O.V. Max for Children’s Television Workshop. Lester has been a contributing writer for the magazines A&E Monthly and Facilities. For television he wrote several episodes of A&E’s popular Biography series as well as documentaries for American Movie Classics (AMC) and the Discovery Network.

As an actor, he worked at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. In addition to playing many leading roles, Lester also served as the company Voice and Movement Master.

Lester’s award-winning one man show, Mortal Coil: Voices from the Hospice, premiered at the New York International Fringe Festival in 1997, and has since played across the country. Mortal Coil, in which he portrays thirteen characters one night in a hospice, has been produced for video and has been incorporated into Columbia University’s and UCLA’s curriculum training for training doctors on end-of-life care. Lester continues to tour the production.

In April 2012, Mortal Coil opened in Oslo, Norway titled Livets Lenker.  Lester directed the production.

Lester is on the faculty of New York’s Pace University, The American Academy of Dramatic Art, New York Film Academy, .  He was invited to give the keynote address at the 2001 National Teaching Training Institute sponsored by PBS. Lester also works extensively as a speech and dialects coach in film, theatre, and television. Clients have included Lincoln Center and  HBO,.