Shelby Converse (she/they) is a Fight & Intimacy Director who uprooted from the Adirondacks and has been working throughout the Buffalo Theatre District since 2015. After graduating from SUNY Fredonia, they continued training in stage combat through the Society of American Fight Directors—and more recently, studying with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators.

Following their breakthrough production of the Artie-nominated Mercury Fur (Subversive Theatre Collective), Shelby's work has been seen onstage in Belfast Girls (Irish Classical Theatre Company), Bloom (Raíces Theatre Company), Choir Boy (Ujima Theatre Company), Foxfinder (New Phoenix Theatre), The Gentleman Caller (Buffalo United Artists), Murder on the Orient Express (Shea's 710 Theatre), The…Watson Intelligence, The Light Fantastic, Guards at the Taj, Mysterious Circumstances, and Hand to God (Road Less Traveled Productions).

Offstage, Shelby somehow also works as the Audience Services Manager for Road Less Traveled Productions as well as being IT & Event Builds for Shea’s Performing Arts Center, much to the chagrin of her beloved cats, Westley and Delilah, who would prefer more regular cuddle-time.