Shirley has performed with Zoo District in “The Bloody Chamber”,“The Submission” and Zoo’s cabaret “Jour de Bosse”.  As a theater artist (solo performer, writer, director, actor) she worked extensively in Chicago and has held memberships in Plasticene, Lookingglass Theater Company and Studio 108, worked with Live Bait Theater, trained at Second City and produced and performed independently, touring her solo
adaptation of Dorothy Parker's “Big Blonde” and  “Glamour” all over Chicagoland and Edinburgh, Scotland. She co-authored, directed and performed in the original play “Sculpture in Vitro: Growing Up Female in the Age of Liposuction” with Molly McNett.
"Sculpture in Vitro" toured to different venues in Chicago, as well as area high schools and colleges.  In Los Angleles, in addition to her work with Zoo District, she has been a member of Sacred Fools Theater,
having written, performed and directed several productions, including portraying our first lady in “Laura’s Bush” writing and performing for “Crime Scene” and “Serial Killers” and playing her own mother
when an actress dropped out of her semi-autobiographical holiday play, “Oh Bob”, as part of Naked Holidays 2003.  She keeps books for
theaters, prepares briefs for court filing and reads and writes in Los Angeles.