M. (Matthew) William Shiner has been stage managing professionally for over 25 years, with experience in educational and professional environments, in theater, opera and dance, working with casts from one to over a hundred. Those who have worked with him have considered Matthew’s sense of professionalism and sense of humor an extremely valuable asset to the process. His style, as a strong advocate for every production, makes him a valuable collaborator on every project he works on. He is egoless, a teamplayer, and has a "irreverent" sense of humor.
Matthew has a BA in Theater from the University of California, Santa Barbara (graduated with honors, emphasis in playwriting and directing). He received his MFA in Stage Management from the University of California, San Diego. He also attended the University of California, Irvine.
Matthew spent three seasons with the La Jolla Playhouse (shows include the first two-act version of I Am My Own Wife and the pre-Broadway production of Jane Eyre – the musical), three seasons with Dallas Theatre Center, and Matthew recently finished six seasons with the Tony Award winning Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC, working on 30 major productions and countless special events (including the Gala for the opening of the Harman Theater, an inaugural event with Sting and Elvis Costello, and an intimate evening with Sir Ian McKellen).
Since relocating to New York City, Matthew was the Production Stage Manager for The 39 Steps for nine months, finishing up it’s award winning and record breaking run in New York. Summer of 2010, Matthew PSM’ed Shakespeare in the Park – working on the Public’s NYSF production of Measure for Measure directed by David Esbjornson (in rep with All’s Well that End’s Well) at the Delacorte in the Central Park. Matthew was the PSM for Mary Zimmerman’s production of Candide at the Huntington Theater Company in Boston (Winner of 11 IRNE awards).
Recently, he completed a three-show stint with the Public Theatre, starting with Michael Sexton’s stark, violent and bloody production of Titus Andronicus at the intimate Anspacher Theater, as well as The Total Bent, a world premiere musical at The Public Theater from the creators of Passing Strange. Last summer, Matthew was the PSM for Daniel Sullivan’s As You Like It – part of the 50th Anniversary season of the Delacorte – featuring Lily Rabe as Rosalind, Oliver Platt as Touchstone and Stephen Spinella as Jacques. This fall and winter - Matthew Stage Managed the Trinity Rep / Dallas Theater Center co-production of King Lear, directed by Kevin Moriarty - and a further developmental workshop The Total Bent, by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, directed by Joanna Settle - as well as the workshop/concert presentation of the Civilian's Porn Industry Musical Pretty Filthy at Joe's Pub.
This spring, Matthew is thrilled to be joing the stage management team of Franco Dragone Entrainment Group's production of House of Dancing Water in Macau, China.
Matthew is a AEA member, a member of the Stage Managers’ Association, and a community leader with the online forum the SM Network. Matthew has taught at UC San Diego, University of Iowa, and guest lectured on stage management for a variety of different groups – including a Ten-Minute Power Point Presentation on Stage Management, initially for a non-profit board presentation, repackaged and used at Syracuse University.
Information regarding availability for projects should be directed to
