A McLean native is working to make a theatrical name for himself in Minnesota’s Twin Cities.
Jeffrey Nolan is a member of the 2026-27 acting cohort of the Minneapolis-based Children’s Theatre Company. The troupe in 2003 won the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, becoming the first and, to date, only theater focused on younger audiences to receive the honor.
Nolan is performing as an understudy in Children’s Theatre Company’s production of “Pinocchio,” running Sept. 8-Oct. 18 at the UnitedHealth Group Stage. He attended Kent Gardens Elementary, Longfellow Middle and McLean High School before attending St. Olaf College in Minnesota.
“It wasn’t until high school that I plucked up the courage to audition for my first play,” Nolan told FFXnow. “But by the end of my senior year, I was a tried-and-true theater kid so, I don’t think any of my former classmates would be surprised to find me still at it.”
Although new to its stage, Nolan is not a new face at the Children’s Theatre Company.
“I first started working there in college as an intern in their education department, and this past summer was my eighth year teaching with them,” he said. “I love the company and its mission, and I feel so lucky to be able to work with them now as a performer.”
Nolan also has performed with Brave New Workshop, Zephyr Theatre, Gremlin Theatre, and Melancholics Anonymous, of which he is a company member.
FFXnow interviewed Nolan about this work to this point, and where he hopes to take it:
What importance do you think theater aimed at children and families has in the development and maturation of young audience members?
“Stories are how we dream of a better world. It’s hard to imagine what your life can be if you’ve never seen an example of what that could look like. By creating theater aimed specifically at children, CTC allows young people to see themselves as the heroes of the story, brave and resourceful, with an agency and autonomy of their own. Not only that, but when they see other children acting up on that big stage, holding their own with the adults, it expands their view of what’s possible for them.”
You have been active in a number of theater troupes. Do you learn something new with each experience, and do you feel you have contributed to each along the way?
“I so enjoy being able to work with many different theater companies. I get to learn something new with each process, be that the precise comedic pacing a director likes to employ, or their detailed, text-heavy scene work, or the way that a company plays and improvises together in order to build a show communally. That last reason specifically is why I really love working with smaller companies. When a show is built with such a strong focus on the ensemble, it really feels like you’re helping the company itself stretch and grow to include all of the wonderful new ideas.”
You’re an understudy in this production. What are the particular challenges that come along with having to be ready to step in at a moment’s notice?
“I think in a lot of ways it’s actually more challenging to be an understudy. The understudies get much less time to practice, because the rehearsal process is geared towards allowing the principal actors to play and work the show. They just need to drill their lines and blocking on their own and show up ready to go when needed. The understudies also don’t get the benefit of muscle memory. The principal actors get eight shows a week to practice and feel confident in their parts, whereas an understudy might get a few hours notice that they need to go on for a part that they haven’t run onstage in a month. Add to that that understudies are often covering multiple parts, and I think their job is very challenging indeed.”
How would you compare the Minneapolis area to Northern Virginia?
“I really enjoy whenever I’m back in Northern Virginia, because it always feels like there’s a buzz of energy there. It’s so close to the Capitol and where all of these big decisions are made that everything feels very immediate, like you’re where history is being made. That said, I love the community that Minneapolis has. Those winters really bond people together, and once the snow melts, it feels like the whole city floods outside to enjoy the summer together.”
The upcoming production of “Pinocchio” was adapted by Greg Banks from the children’s novel by Carlo Collodi. Banks also directs the production, promising “a fabulously fast-moving show full of fun.”
The “inventive adaptation” is “filled with humor, music and theatrical magic, but beneath the adventure is a story about empathy, accountability and finding the courage to make better choices,” said Rick Dildine, the theater’s artistic director.
“It reminds us that imagination isn’t an escape from growing up — it is one of the ways we learn how,” Dildine added. “That’s what makes ‘Pinocchio’ the perfect way to begin a season celebrating the imagination, resilience, and possibility that live inside every young person.”
The show will run about 95 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission, and is geared toward children ages 5-10.
