Sandy Shinner, the producing artistic director of Chicago’s long-established Shattered Globe Theatre Company, announced Tuesday that she is stepping down from her post.

Shinner, 75, is a longtime fixture on the Chicago theater scene who spent more than 25 years as associate artistic director of the Victory Gardens Theater Company prior to taking the job at the ensemble-based Shattered Globe, now in its 35th season as an off-Loop Company. Shinner has run the company, currently in residence at Theater Wit, for some 13 years. She will remain a member of the theater’s ensemble.

The board of directors at Shattered Globe said Tuesday it will conduct a national search for Shinner’s replacement.

“While there never seems to be a perfect time for a transition,” Shinner said in a prepared statement, “it’s time for a new artistic leader to address our complicated times with a bold vision and chart the ensemble’s course for the next decade.”

Shattered Globe reported a deficit of $144,000 on its 2024 tax return. But the small, low-budget company long has been a favorite of critics and audiences, known for bold and challenging work. Its most recent hit was a new staging of Kenneth Lonergan’s “Lobby Hero,” which opened last winter. The company said it was its best-selling show in 35 years.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/shattered-globe-shinner/