Nan McNamara

Nan received the Stage Raw Award and Robby Award as well as Los Angeles Drama Critics Award Nomination, Ovation Award (Best Production) and Scenie Award for her portrayal of Katherine Brandt in Moises Kaufman's 33 Variations at Actors Co-op. Nan also received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and L.A. Weekly Award for her portrayal of Vivian Bearing in Margaret Edson's Pulitzer Prize-winning, Wit (also at Actors Co-op). She has worked consistently on the stage in leading roles in scores of productions including Robert Harling's Steel Magnolias (Truvy), Lee Blessing's A Walk in the Woods (Joan Honeyman), Pocket Universe by Thomas Brandon (World Premiere), Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa (Kate), Lee Blessing's Going to St. Ives (Cora), Spinning Into Butter (Sara Daniels), Eugene O'Neil's Long Day's Journey Into Night (Mary Tyrone), The Crucible (Elizabeth), Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (Yelena) and Shakespeare's As You Like It (Rosalind). In addition to her work in front of the camera, Nan is an accomplished voiceover artist. She has recorded hundreds of radio and TV commercials for clients such as Dirt Devil, Clorox, Walgreens, Fiber Plus, Fancy Feast, McDonalds and Nesquik to name a few. In the world of video games, Nan is the voice of Anya in the Gears of War trilogy, as well as Dr. Betty Ross in the Ultimate Avengers animated films, among many other titles. Nan has voiced promos for various networks and affiliates, and narrated a number of documentaries. Nan is also an award-winning audiobook narrator (Earphones and "Best Audiobook of 2016" for Mister Monkey by Francine Prose). Her narration has been described by AudioFile Magazine as "richly observed," "heartbreaking" and "smoothly shift[s] to whatever character, time, or emotion she is portraying." She has narrated nearly 100 fiction and non-fiction titles in many genres for Penguin/RandomHouse, Hachette, Tantor, Christian Audio, HarperCollins, Oasis Audio, Skyboat Media, Dreamscape and Audible. Nan and her writing partner, Ana Auther, formed Anagram Film Creations in 2016, a production company focusing on female-driven stories. Their current project is a television movie entitled Home Run Christmas. In addition to her work as an actor, Nan has directed numerous theatre productions including Last Train to Nibroc and See Rock City at Actors Co-op, two of the three plays which comprise The Nibroc Trilogy (Critic's Choice-Los Angeles Times, Critic's Pick-Backstage West, Recommended-LA Weekly). The Nibroc Trilogy garnered six L.A. Weekly nominations (two wins) and a Garland Award Honorable Mention for her direction. She also directed Actors Co-op's 20th Anniversary season opener, the musical The 1940s Radio Hour, which garnered four NAACP Theatre Award nominations. Additional directing credits include the critically-acclaimed production of The Boys Next Door (Critic's Choice-Los Angeles Times, Critic's Pick-Backstage West). Nan was Producing Director of Actors Co-op from 1999 to 2002 where she was responsible for overseeing all elements of theatre production. In 2020, she will direct Lee Blessing's play (world premiere new ending), A Body of Water. Nan has taught acting and voice production at Azusa Pacific University and Vanguard University. She also taught acting under Diana Castle at The Imagined Life studios in Los Angeles. Nan is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota. She graduated Cum Laude from St. Cloud State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre.