Ernie Nolan (Unicorn Theatre)
Ernie Nolan will continue the theater’s dedication to new work and complex subject matter
Not long ago, Ernie Nolan, the Unicorn Theatre’s new artistic director, posted a video on the Unicorn website to introduce himself to the community at large as well as to Unicorn patrons.
“Hello, everyone, I’m Ernie Nolan and I am thrilled and honored to say that I am the next artistic director of the Unicorn Theatre,” said Nolan, who seemed to personify the phrase “bursting with enthusiasm.”
“For years I have traveled to Kansas City as a visitor,” Nolan continued. “And now I am so proud and excited to call it home and to be a part of and a member of its vibrant, thriving artistic community. I can’t wait to continue the tradition of new work at the Unicorn and also to create some of my own bold new plays up on those stages. So if you see me in the lobby, come and say hello. I’ll be there soon.”
Nolan comes to Kansas City by way of Chicago and Nashville — but, as he said in the video, he knows the Kansas City theater scene because he’s been coming here for years, most often working as a choreographer. For much of his career Nolan has worked in young-audiences theater companies. He comes to the Unicorn after serving seven years as executive artistic director of the Nashville Children’s Theatre. Before that he served several years as producing artistic director of Emerald City Theater in Chicago. At both companies Nolan wrote and staged new plays.
Nolan grew up in Warren, Michigan, outside Detroit. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program (BFA in musical theatre), and the Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA in directing).
His first exposure to the local theater scene came when he was in graduate school and spent three months at the Coterie as an intern, which he said involved running errands and working as a house manager. As it turned out, Nolan returned to the Coterie often to work as a choreographer on shows such as “Geppetto and Son,” “The Dinosaur Musical” and “Lucky Duck,” the production the Coterie took to New York for a short run at the Victory Theatre. He also choreographed a memorable production of “La Cage aux Folles” at the Unicorn.
The time he spent in Kansas City as a visiting freelancer gave him a feel for the local theater community.
“Every time I came to town I saw shows,” he said. “I flew in for that first internship, dropped my bags and that night saw the Unicorn production of (Edward Albee’s) “The Goat.” He also remembers seeing “The Tempest” at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, and he saw at least one production at the New Theatre in Overland Park.
Nolan said he found a home in children’s theater because there was considerable freedom to find unorthodox approaches to storytelling. And children’s theater often deals with serious issues.
“Running a theater for today’s audiences is different because you’re communicating with adults all the time,” he said. The reason, he said, is children don’t attend theater or perform on stage without an adult’s approval.
“I’ve been working and communicating with adults all this time,” he said.
Nolan has moved to Kansas City with his husband, Abe Reybold, a director, choreographer and actor in his own right. They’ve been together about seven years. Nolan said they’ve bought a loft in the River Market. And he looks forward to the completion of the streetcar line extension to Midtown, because then he’ll be able to hop a streetcar and ride straight to the Unicorn.
“I would love the Unicorn to continue its dedication to new work and complex subject matter,” Nolan said. “The Unicorn is the place to be in Kansas City.”
So after years running young-audiences theaters, how does it feel to be here?
“I feel like I’ve been at the kiddie table at the party, and now I finally get to sit at the adult table and get to play with everybody,” he said.
