Shannon Rush is a professional theatre maker with 20+ years experience and a diverse portfolio that includes casting, performing, directing, facilitating, producing, and dramaturgy, with work showcased across Australia, New Zealand, London, and Italy.

She is currently the Artistic Associate at State Theatre Company South Australia. In 2025 she will direct the world-premiere of Housework by Emily Steel and American classic The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

Shannon holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts in Directing with First Class Honours from Flinders University (2016) and an Advanced Diploma in Acting from the Adelaide College of the Arts (2003). She also trained at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London 2004) with funding assistance from the Helpmann Academy. 

Her most recent directing credit is The Puzzle by David Williamson which had its world premiere in September 2024 at the Dunstan Playhouse for State Theatre Company South Australia. Earlier in 2024 Shannon directed Starweaver by Madness of Two, a critically acclaimed theatrical experiment which blended live performance, gaming technology, CGI and motion capture. 

In 2023 Shannon directed Welcome To Your New Life by Anna Goldsworthy for  State  Theatre  Company South  Australia  and assistant directed The Dictionary of Lost Words  by Verity Laughton  (adapted  from  the  Pip  Williams  novel) for  State  Theatre Company  South  Australia  &  Sydney  Theatre  Company.  She  also  directed  AWGIE award winning Claire Della and The Moon for Madness of Two as part of the DreamBig Children’s Festival  and  AWESOME Festival.  She also directed Future: Present for Theatre Republic.  

Other credits include world premiere of Cathedral by Caleb Lewis for State Theatre Company South Australia (2022), The Big Score and The Big Party, written by Julianne O’Brien and commissioned by children's cancer charity Camp Quality (2022), Wolfgang's Magical Musical Circus (Tour Director) for Circa Contemporary Circus (2021), Limit by Sophia Simmons for State Theatre Company South Australia’s Umbrella Program (2019). Shannon worked as Associate Assistant Director on the Auckland Arts Festival tour of 1984 (GWB Entertainment, 2018) as well as the Australian tour (State Theatre Company South Australia, 2017). 

In 2016 she directed the world premiere of Duncan Graham’s play Red Ink in Adelaide Fringe and assistant directed Juliet Letters with Flying Penguin for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.  She also directed Pre-Paradise Sorry Now for Adelaide College of the Arts, and worked as Assistant Director  (secondment) to Rosemary Myers on Rumpelstiltskin for Windmill Theatre Company. 

As part of her Honours year studies at Flinders University she worked on secondment with Gale Edwards on the world premiere of Cloudstreet for Opera SA. Shannon has also worked extensively with Oval House Theatre in London between 2004-2009 as a freelance director.

Photo credit: Photos  by Jamois