Directing
Directing is a natural progression for Nan, who has been working in Los Angeles theatre for over twenty years. After graduating from St. Cloud State University with a degree in theatre (Cum Laude), she has worked as an actress, as Producing Director of Actors Co-op (a professional theatre company in Hollywood operating two theatres under Equity’s 99-seat contract), where she was responsible for overseeing all elements of theatre production, as well as Artistic Chairperson of Actors Co-op (2020-2021) where she created on-line content during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nan also directed two of the three plays which comprise THE NIBROC TRILOGY. THE TRILOGY amassed “Critic’s Choice” from the Los Angeles Times, “Critic’s Pick” from Backstage and was “Recommended” by the LA Weekly adding in their review that “McNamara’s excellent staging visually accentuates layer after layer of subtext, taking us far beneath the skin of stereotypes to a complexly woven emotional world, spun by the twin engines of character and history.” THE NIBROC TRILOGY garnered 6 LA Weekly nominations (2 wins) and a Garland Award Honorable Mention for direction.
Other credits include the musical The 1940s Radio Hour, which garnered four NAACP Theatre Award nominations, and the critically-acclaimed production of The Boys Next Door. The Los Angeles Times named the production “Critic’s Choice” calling it a “beautifully handled revival,” adding “Director Nan McNamara knowingly avoids schmaltz . . . making us howl with laughter as we fight back tears of recognition.” The production was also named “Critic’s Pick” by Backstage.
Nan loves working with actors and the collaborative process of directing for the theatre.
Click below for recent directing projects, including photos and reviews.
