Executive Artistic Leader | Visionary Arts Strategist | Community Connector

For more than three decades, Shana Bestock has built theater as a catalyst for connection, belonging, and cultural change. A nationally recognized arts leader, director, producer, and strategist, she has guided organizations through transformative growth while championing new voices, equity-centered practices, and bold artistic vision. Her work bridges artistic excellence with deep community engagement — creating spaces where artists, audiences, and future leaders can thrive together.

As Artistic & Education Director at Seattle Public Theater, Bestock helped transform a small community theater into a nationally recognized nonprofit, dramatically expanding audiences, programming, and financial sustainability while maintaining a debt-free organization. She has directed over 60 productions, commissioned and premiered new works by acclaimed contemporary playwrights, and founded initiatives that opened access for emerging artists, youth leaders, and historically underrepresented communities. Through her leadership at ACT/Union Arts Center, she continued to develop innovative artistic programs, mentor rising leaders, and cultivate collaborations that connect theater with education, environmental justice, and civic life. Today, Bestock leads the community arts organization Penguin Productions and teaches at the University of Washington, mentoring emerging artists and building creative communities rooted in rigor, collaboration, and social impact. Her leadership has centered emerging artists and youth cohorts, creating pathways for new generations of theater makers and civic leaders.

Bestock’s impact extends internationally through her work as a Fulbright Program Specialist and visiting artist across Europe, where she has developed global theater initiatives centered on climate justice, education, and cross-cultural exchange. Whether directing world premieres, launching youth leadership programs, or consulting with organizations including Amazon and Microsoft, her leadership is rooted in the belief that the arts can spark imagination, strengthen communities, and create meaningful social change.

Executive & Artistic Leadership Experience

Artistic Associate | ACT/Union Arts Center – Seattle, WA (2022 – 2026)

·       Lead curation, literary direction, new works production, education initiatives, and community partnerships.

·       Produce, curate, and direct New Works Northwest Festival, elevating diverse PNW artists and developing original commissions.

·       Collaborate on season selection and artistic management with the Artistic Director.

·       Launched Young Core Company, Rising Leadership Cohort, and Community Day programming to develop new artists and audiences, new work, and deepen community connection.

·       Reimagined education programs and expanded community partnerships, increasing reach and impact.

·       Secured new revenue-generating programs and grew departmental budget.

Producing Artistic & Executive Director | Penguin Productions – Seattle, WA (2017 – Present)

·       Founded and lead nonprofit youth and community arts organization overseeing programming, budget, fundraising, and partnerships.

·       Produce 4–6 productions annually, commissioning and staging new works in partnership with BIPOC theaters and environmental organizations.

·       Facilitate cross-sector partnerships with arts, education, and leadership organizations to expand youth arts access.

·       Created and lead Youth Artist Leadership Program, mentoring diverse youth cohorts in equity-based leadership.

Artistic & Education Director | Seattle Public Theater – Seattle, WA (2001 – 2017)

·       Transformed community theater into a nationally recognized nonprofit with 2500% audience growth and 4000% budget growth.

·       Led 16 seasons of programming including season selection, commissioning new plays, and directing professional and youth productions.

·       Balanced annual budgets and maintained a debt-free organization.

·       Spearheaded equity and inclusion initiatives such as no-audition youth productions, BIPOC playwright commissioning, and apprenticeships.

·       Cultivated donors and secured grants to expand programming and budget.

National & International Work

·       Fulbright Specialist (2021–2025) – Developed global arts programs integrating climate justice, theater, and education.

·       Visiting Scholar/Artist (Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic) – Directed Climate Change Theater Action Festivals, designed curricula, and created international collaborations.

·       Guest Speaker & Facilitator – Presenter at international conferences including Prague Visitors Program 2025, AATE 2023, Arts Leadership Symposium 2024.

Selected Directing & Producing Highlights

• Directed 60+ plays across 17 seasons, including world premieres, commissions, and reinvigorated classics.

• Produced premieres by Keiko Green. Steven Dietz, Anna Ziegler, Heidi Schreck, Julia Cho, Nathan Louis Jackson, Martyna Majok, Alan Ayckbourn, Theresa Rebeck, Richard Greenberg, A. Rey Pamantat, Rebecca Gilman, and more.

• Commissioned and mounted over 30 works from local playwrights‍ ‍

• Founded Emerald Prize for New Plays, establishing a national pipeline for playwright development.

• Recipient of multiple Gregory Award nominations and Seattle Times Footlight Awards

Community Engagement & Consulting

• Consultant: Amazon, Microsoft, Pugh Capital, Seattle University, Bastyr University, and others (executive leadership and arts training).
• Panelist & Reviewer: International Teaching Artist Conference, American Alliance for Theater Education, Seattle Times, 4Culture
• Guest Contributor: Parent Map, Edutopia, Encore Magazine
• Consultant: Try Theatre (Croatia), The Shattered Glass Project, Evergrey Leadership Lab

Education & Training

BA, History, University of Chicago – Merit Scholarship; Kinahan Prize for Theater Contributions
Leadership Tomorrow, Class of 2021
Leadership for Social Change, ArtEquity (2016)