DIRECTOR | CHOREOGRAPHER
Nathaniel Shaw is the Producing Artistic Director for the Firehouse Theatre. He was the Founding Artistic Director for The New Theatre, served as Artistic Director for Virginia Repertory Theatre, and was the founding Artistic Director for The Active Theater (NYC). He was the inaugural New Play Development Director for Glass Half Full Productions (Tony and Olivier Award Winning Producers of Betrayal and Two Strangers), and was an Associate Choreographer for Once, supervising both the Broadway production and the First National Tour.
He is an award winning director / movement director / choreographer with credits that span classical and contemporary musical theatre, established plays, and the development and premiere of new work.
New York directing credits include Touch with Libra Theatre Company at 59e59 starring Tony Award Winner Katrina Lenk and the first New York City revival of The Violet Hour (Innovative Theater Award nomination for Best Revival).
Regional directing, movement, and choreography credits include (among others) Peter and the Starcatcher (Richmond Theatre Community Circle Award for Best Direction of a Play), In the Heights (RTCC Award for Best Direction of a Musical), The Barber of Moville (RTCC Award for Best Original Work), West Side Story (RTCC Award for Best Musical), Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, A Chorus Line (3x), Once (co-produced by Virginia Rep & The Fulton), The Great Comet, Hair, Hairspray, Grease, Damn Yankees, South Pacific, The 39 Steps, Cinderella and world premiere productions of Memories of Overdevelopment by Caridad Svich, The End of War by David L. Robbins, River Ditty by Matthew Mooney Keuter, and Roman à clef by Chandler Hubbard.
On-stage highlights include iconic roles such as Curly in Oklahoma!, Zach in A Chorus Line, Pale in Burn This, Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees, Lt. Cable in South Pacific, Riff in West Side Story, Will Parker in Oklahoma! (alongside Kelli O’Hara and Will Chase), and Adam in Two Days of Grace at Middleham by Toni Press-Coffman at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Nathaniel also performed for three seasons as a featured dancer with The Paul Taylor Dance Company.
Richmond's Style Magazine featured Nathaniel in both its Power List: Arts and Culture, and among Richmond’s Top 40 Under 40. He is a Graduate of The University of Northern Colorado, and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and Actors Equity Association.
"Nathaniel is a thoughtful, investigative and collaborative director who treats the material and his actors with the utmost respect. His genuine love for the craft, and his reverence for the rehearsal process, are palpable and contagious. I felt safe, encouraged, and delightfully challenged under his direction. And - bonus: he likes a good laugh."
-Katrina Lenk, TONY Winner
"Nathaniel Shaw is an actor's dream director. He is insightful, patient, encouraging and passionate. He is able to shine a light on the heart of the story we are telling, and bring unity and enthusiasm to the entire team in the process. As an actor, I trust him and his vision completely, and would be incredibly excited to work with him again"
-Arielle Jacobs, Aladdin
"Nathaniel Shaw is quite simply one of the best Director/Choreographers I have ever worked with. His thorough preparation and deep understanding of the work, combined with his clear and calm approach, establishes immediate and sustaining trust. Due to his immense talent, passion, commitment, and integrity, again and again, I jump at the chance to be in the room with him."
-Jessica Lee Goldyn, Moulin Rouge
"Nathaniel is a visionary, creating transformative experiences for artists and audiences alike"
-Josh Marin, Book of Mormon