by After 47 years in the nonprofit regional theater industry, Timothy J. Shields, managing director of the Old Globe Theatre, will retire next year.
The Old Globe’s board will lead a nationwide hunt for his replacement, the Balboa Park theaters announced in a press release.
Since 2017, Shields has been the managing director. Since then, the Old Globe has presented 100 productions, three of which have moved to Broadway, continuing the tradition of 27 locally produced productions that have made the transition from San Diego to New York.
Shields has gained the respect of the whole American theatrical community and is regarded as one of the greats in this field, according to artistic director Barry Edelstein.
According to Edelstein, one of the pleasures of my tenure at the Globe has been my collaboration with Tim Shields, whose exit is sad. His influence on this theater has been remarkable. His unmatched theater production instincts have produced innumerable evenings of entertainment for San Diego and beyond, and he has made wise and fruitful changes to our organizational structure, work procedures, and financial model.
At three additional prestigious arts organizations, Shields has served in leadership positions: the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey; the Milwaukee Repertory Theater in Wisconsin; and the Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, New York.
Shields also commended Edelstein, stating that this journey has been so significant because of his kindness, vision, and teamwork.
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According to him, my time at The Old Globe is the high point of my career and a fitting conclusion to a career founded on the idea that communities flourish when everyone has access to top-notch theater. I am incredibly thankful for the many acts of generosity I have encountered throughout my time here, as well as the amazing team at the Globe, many of whom put in countless hours behind the scenes.
After an internship at the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, he began his career. He has a degree in theatrical production from Carnegie Mellon University and has had early jobs at the Denver Center Theatre Company, the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, and McCarter Theatre.
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Shields has been an advocate for his communities and the theater industry throughout his career. He has held associate board positions in the Downtown San Diego Partnership, LEAD San Diego, and the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership in San Diego.
In addition to founding or leading arts organizations in Wisconsin and New Jersey, Shields was president and board member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and vice president and board member of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG).
Shields will be honored as the Globe gets ready for its next phase, according to theater officials. While it will be challenging to fill his shoes, we know that other notable leaders in the field will wish to carry on his legacy, said Board Chair George C. Guerra, who referred to his tenure as a crucial chapter in our institution’s history.
