Producing Artistic Director

Sandy Shinner (she/her) joined Shattered Globe Theatre in October 2013 as the theatre’s first Producing Artistic Director. Her SGT directing credits include Deborah Zoe Laufer’s Be Here Now, Will Snider’s How to Use a Knife, Scott McPherson’s Marvin’s Room, and Sally Nemeth’s Mill Fire. The former Associate Artistic Director of Victory Gardens Theater, she created the nationally known IGNITION! Festival, served as co-director of the Access Project, and, with former Artistic Director Dennis Zacek and former Managing Director Marcelle McVay, accepted the 2001 Regional Theater Tony Award on behalf of Victory Gardens. She has directed over 85 plays at theaters including Victory Gardens, Remy Bumppo, American Blues, the University of Virginia, Actors Theater of Louisville’s Humana Festival, Steppenwolf’s First Look Repertory of New Work, New York’s 78th Street Theater Lab, and the Sacramento Theater Company, among others. Her production of Trying by Joanna McClelland Glass transferred to New York, and her direction was nominated for the Joe A. Callaway Award. Shinner received the 2013 Kathryn V. Lamkey Spirit Award from the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee of Actors’ Equity Association for her commitment to diversity and non-traditional casting. She has been recognized as one of “50 Top Players” by Newcity and a “Chicagoan of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune. She is an adjunct professor at DePaul’s Theatre School, and an Ambassador for the National New Play Network.

SShinner@ShatteredGlobe.org

Associate Artistic Director

Amber D. Montgomery (she/her) is an emerging director, educator and multi-disciplinary artist from Detroit, Michigan. She has created a career centered around amplifying the voices of Chicago youth and creating work that stands on the legacy of black theater makers before her. Originally trained as an actor, her transition to directing in Chicago has including her associate and assistant directing credits for many major productions including School Girls or the African Mean Girls Play (Goodman Theatre), Sheepdog (Shattered Globe Theatre), LINDIWE (Steppenwolf Theatre), Too Heavy for Your Pocket (TimeLine Theatre), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Writers Theatre), Measure for Measure (American Players Theater) and First Love is the Revolution (Steep Theatre). Her other director’s credits include: *upcoming: Snow Queen (The House Theater), Countess Dracula (Otherworld Theater) and hippolytos (Story Theater New Play Festival). She was awarded 2020 FAIR Assistantship at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 2018 Fellowship at Steppenwolf Theater in their Department of Education/SYA and an internship at Penumbra Theater’s Summer Institute: Pedagogies for Social Change. She has attended training programs at the Globe Theater in London and LISPA (Now Arthaus Berlin). Amber holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program.

AMontgomery@ShatteredGlobe.org

General Manager

Lesley Swanson (she/her) is thrilled to join the team at Shattered Globe Theater. She brings over 12 years of experience in Arts Management and Arts Education. Swanson has planned and executed productions in the non-profit sector for television, theater, and orchestra. She has also directed schools of dance, drama, and music.

Swanson earned a MM in flute performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and a BM from Grand Valley State University. She owns a private studio in the City of Chicago where she teaches flute students of all ages. Active in Chicago’s new music scene, her dynamic flute playing can be heard with the Chicago Composers Orchestra.

Swanson has proven herself to be a powerful advocate for women’s rights. As an arts leader, she is committed to continuing education. She recently completed Enrich Chicago’s training Building a Culture of Anti-Racism.

Swanson enjoys spoiling her large cat, Séamus. Whenever possible, she slips away to the silver beaches of Lake Michigan

LSwanson@ShatteredGlobe.org

Artistic Producer

Nate Santana (he/him) Nate joined Shattered Globe as an Ensemble Member in 2018. For three years, he taught and directed the Protege Program at SGT as well as produced and oversaw the inaugural Global Playwriting Series (GPS), which received over 150 submissions in its first year. Theatre credits include: Marvin’s Room (Shattered Globe Theatre); Ironbound (Raven Theatre) The Thanksgiving Play (Steppenwolf); Legend of Georgia McBride, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (Northlight); Frankenstein, Sense and Sensibility (Indiana Repertory Theatre); SS! Romeo and Juliet, SS! Twelfth Night (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy (Griffin Theatre); The Abuelas, White Tie Ball, Momma’s Boyz (Teatro Vista); The Rainmaker (BoHo Theatre); References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot (Phoenix Theatre Indianapolis) What Happened When, Slipping (the side project). Television credits include Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Suits, and The Exorcist. Nate is also an Ensemble Member with Teatro Vista. He studied at the School at Steppenwolf, The Moscow Art Theatre, and received his BA from Valparaiso University.

nsantana@shatteredglobe.org

Director of Marketing and Community Engagement

Julia Farrell Diefenbach (she/her) is the Director of Marketing and Community Engagement for Shattered Globe Theatre and the Managing and Marketing Director for Artemisia Theatre, Chicago's Feminist Theatre. She previously served as the Director of Marketing and Social Media for Haven Chicago and as the Associate Artistic Director of The Halogen Company, an award-winning immersive theatre company in Los Angeles. A graduate of Columbia College of Chicago with a degree in directing and a minor in stage combat, Julia has collaborated with numerous Chicago theatres, including Victory Gardens, Collaboraction, Broken Nose Theatre, Citadel Theatre, and Firebrand Theatre. Certified as an Intimacy Captain by the ICC, she also freelances as a director and dramaturg, bringing her expertise to a variety of theatrical projects. juliafarrell.net

jdiefenbach@shatteredglobe.org