About Me
My mom made me go to my first audition.
That’s not a joke. She made me.
And thank heavens she did.
Performing “unofficially” since I was conducting my church’s children’s choir from the third row, in tandem with the actual conductor, my mom had an inkling I’d do well. Though swearing to her I was “too cool” for Dr. Seuss at ten years old, my mom drove me to a Seussical callback.
I was cast as “Jojo.”
Three days into the rehearsal process I told the director “I’m gonna do this forever.”
She became my high school theatre teacher and first inspiration.
She knew even at ten I was serious.
Twenty years and fifty fully mounted productions later, I’m still at it.
Studying at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, I received extensive performance opportunities, including productions of Big River (Pap Finn/The Duke), All Shook Up (Chad), South Pacific (Emile), Too Many Cooks (“Noodles”), A Moon for the Misbegotten (James Tyrone, Jr.), Blithe Spirit (Condomine), The Birds (Epops), and Uncle Vanya (Astrov).
That’s also where I started my directing career.
Serving as Assistant Director for productions of Don’t Dress for Dinner and Annie Baker’s The Flick, I directed my first full production at Emporia, Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author.
I love what I do.
That’s the short and the long of it.
Founder and former Producing Artistic Director of Sunrise Theatre Company in Topeka, Kansas; KCACTF Region V Irene Ryan Runner-Up; Open Jar Institute Alumnus; there is little more I love than to create and play pretend in front of people.
Founder and Artistic Director of Literature of A Short Leap Theatre Company in Chicago.
Equity Membership Candidate, avid reader, collector, House DJ thatoneguy, amateur mixologist, professional bartender, and above all: driven by connection, I want to know people and stories. I want to tell those stories often and always. I want to help others tell their own stories however I can.
Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further, it is because I stand upon the shoulders of giants.”
I want to be someone else’s giant.
Let’s Get to Work
Located
Chicago, IL
Phone
(913) 749-3813
Email
nathandaleshort@icloud.com