Trish Santini, the co-founder of New York’s Little Island, is packing her theater chops for San Diego. The Old Globe in Balboa Park announced today that she will become the Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director. She begins working remotely on May 1 and is scheduled to take over onsite duties July 1, as longtime managing director Tim Shields steps down June 30. The hire caps a national search and pairs Santini with Artistic Director Barry Edelstein as the Globe’s senior leadership team.
“The opportunity to partner with Barry Edelstein, someone I have long admired as an artist and arts leader, is incredibly exciting and inspiring,” Santini said in a statement about her appointment. As reported by BroadwayWorld, the board has given her the title Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director, and she will work alongside Edelstein as co-CEO of the institution.
From Little Island to Balboa Park
Santini served as the inaugural executive director of Little Island from 2016 to 2023, steering the launch of the park-and-venue project with an approximately $250 million budget that opened to the public in May 2021. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, she previously spent nine years as external relations director at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and co-founded the Empire Training Center for the Arts.
How the Globe Picked Its Leader
The Old Globe’s board, chaired by Christian Buckley, teamed up with consulting firm Management Consultants for the Arts and Jonathan West on a national search that ultimately landed on Santini. BroadwayWorld reports that the search committee included senior Globe staff and board members who reviewed a slate of finalists before recommending Santini to the full board.
What This Means for Balboa Park
The hire puts a seasoned operations leader in the driver’s seat as the Globe keeps up a busy season and broad community programs. The Globe’s staff page lists Barry Edelstein as artistic director and describes the managing director’s role as central to running the theater’s three Balboa Park stages and year-round outreach; the company’s 2026 season announcement highlights continued investment in new plays and arts engagement. See The Old Globe staff page and The Globe’s 2026 season release for more on the organization’s programming priorities.
Santini said she looks forward to getting to know San Diego and serving as an ambassador for the Globe’s artists and community programs. In the coming weeks, she is expected to meet staff and donors as the Globe prepares for its summer season, and the theater says it will share more operational details before her July start. Per The San Diego Union-Tribune, she will begin working remotely on May 1 and assume on-site duties on July 1.
