Emerald City Theatre Announces Ernie Nolan as new Producing Artistic Director
Emerald City Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director and Co-founder Karen Cardarelli, announced the appointment of Ernie Nolan as the theatre's new Producting Artistic Director, succeeding Karen Cardarelli, who will continue on as Executive Director.
Nolan has served as Associate Artistic Director for the company for two years overseeing the creation of the PlayGround, a development process for new work for young audiences. He has directed, choreographed, or written 15 productions including: A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas; The True Story of the Three Little Pigs; If You Take a Mouse to School; Disney's High School Musical; Seussical; and many others.
Nolan will be the first Producing Artistic Director for the company to take over from its co-founder.
"I am thrilled to hand over artistic leadership reins to Ernie," says Karen Cardarelli. "He has proven himself with our audience of young families and truly dedicated his artistic vision to the mission of inspiring early learners through play. I am confident he will continue to inspire work that serves as a gateway to the arts for children and their grown-ups."
In addition to remounting the company's successful production of Pinkalicious: The Musical at Broadway In Chicago's Broadway Playhouse this summer, Mr. Nolan is writing and directing If You Give a Cat a Cupcake this Fall and writing and directing Goodnight Gorilla, the company's first venture into theater for the very young, or 'baby theater'.
Ernie Nolan is currently a visiting faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University and is the Vice President of the board of Theatre for Young Audiences/USA. Additional credits include: The BFG, The Giver (Chicago Playworks); Frindle, U:BUG:ME, Twice Upon a Time, and The Dinosaur Musical (Coterie Theatre). He is a graduate of both the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program (BFA Musical Theatre) and The Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA Directing).