Trish Santini Named Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director of The Old Globe

A nationally respected arts leader and producer, Santini will work together with Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein.

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Board of Directors of The Old Globe today announced the appointment of Trish Santini as Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director. A nationally respected arts leader and producer, Santini will work together with Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein to lead San Diego’s flagship arts institution. As co-CEOs of the institution, Santini and Edelstein will report jointly to the Board of Directors. Santini will assume her Managing Director duties at The Old Globe on July 1, 2026.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am thrilled to welcome Trish to the Globe at this pivotal time,” said Old Globe Board Chair Christian Buckley. “As we look toward 100 years and continually reimagine what it means to be a great arts institution for San Diego and beyond, it is clear to us that Trish abundantly possesses all of the tangible and intangible qualities to join Barry, the Board, and our leadership on that journey. The final pool of candidates was extraordinary, which I think bodes well for the future of leading nonprofit regional theatre in America, but Trish’s history, experience, and laser focus on how the Globe can evolve in the next decade distinguished her.”

Trish Santini is a Co-Founder of Empire Training Center for the Arts (ETCA), a nonprofit workforce development initiative that trains technical and administrative performing arts professionals for careers that do not require a college degree. From 2016 to 2023, Santini served as the inaugural Executive Director of Little Island in New York City, where she led the launch of the $250 million public park and performance venue. Prior to that, she served for nine years as External Relations Director at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, overseeing marketing and communications, visitor services, education, retail, and events, and later serving as Senior Producer for several productions and fundraising galas. Her previous experience includes leadership roles at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, and with TMG–The Marketing Group and Dodger Theatricals in NYC, as well as several projects as an independent producer.

“The Globe’s reputation as one of our country’s leading nonprofit regional theatres reflects not only the excellent art on our stages, but also the excellence of our institutional operations,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “Over the decades those have been run by a series of exemplary managerial leaders, and our newest Managing Director, the gifted Trish Santini, will be exceptional among them. Deeply rooted in the values of the American regional theatre movement, Trish also boasts the remarkable achievement of building and opening Little Island in Manhattan, one of the most innovative and exciting performing arts venues anywhere. Her strategic vision, her leadership skills, her community-facing orientation, and her true love for the art of theatre make her the ideal person to guide the Globe toward its centennial. Too, Trish’s warmth and open spirit are a perfect fit for the energies of the Globe, Balboa Park, and San Diego. I look forward to the work we’re going to do together as partners, and to the transformative impacts she’s going to make on our city.”

Edelstein added, “I must thank the search committee of the Globe’s Board, led by our visionary Board Chair Christian Buckley, for the smooth process that yielded this fine appointment. My thanks as well go to Jonathan West of Management Consultants for the Arts for his work. And to Tim Shields, into whose capacious shoes Trish Santini now steps, I express profound thanks for the legacy of real excellence his eight-year tenure leaves behind. The Globe is better for his having been here. Our partnership has been a highlight of my career, and I wish him happiness in his retirement.”

"The opportunity to partner with Barry Edelstein, someone I have long admired as an artist and arts leader, is incredibly exciting and inspiring and it was clear throughout the process that our values and ambitions are well-aligned. From our shared commitment to creating a culture of joy and belonging so that artists and staff can do their best work to recognizing the necessity to train a new generation of theater professionals to our pursuit of providing access to theatre in as many spaces and communities as possible—all of this truly illuminated to me that we are kindred spirits and I can’t wait to get started,” stated Trish Santini.

Santini noted, “I am deeply appreciative of the support and confidence I have already experienced with Barry, the Globe’s wonderful Board Chair, Christian Buckley and the Search Committee and I very much look forward to the work ahead in collaboration with The Globe’s exceptional staff and Board of Directors, as well as the greater San Diego community. As someone who has relished witnessing the transformational power of live theatre coexisting with natural beauty, it feels like kismet to join The Old Globe in their home in Balboa Park where there are boundless opportunities to invite audiences and visitors to experience the dynamic and distinctive performances and programs the Globe produces each and every season. I look forward to getting to know America’s Finest City and becoming an authentic ambassador and advocate for both the Globe and the community it serves."

The Old Globe’s Search Committee worked closely with Jonathan West of Management Consultants for the Arts on the national search for a Managing Director. Chaired by Old Globe Board Chair Christian Buckley, members of the committee include Old Globe Board Members, George Davis, George Guerra, Nishma Held, Karin Winner, Paula Powers, Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Old Globe staff members Alex Orbovich, Sandy Parde, and Adena Varner also served on the committee.

The Old Globe is funded in part by City of San Diego Cultural Affairs. The Theodor and Audrey Geisel Fund provides leadership support for The Old Globe’s year-round activities.

Bios and photos of all participants can be found at TheOldGlobe.org/Press-Room.

Patty Onagan
Patty Onagan Consulting
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