NATHAN DANIEL MANNA
a multidisciplinary artist & scholar
INSTITUTIONALIZED
Spring 2021, devised theatre piece.
Institutionalized is an abstract piece that explores the role of mental institutions in the oppression of the cultural other. The two patients a gay man, and a former kumari goddess, are rehabiliated by a nurse motivated by religious convictions. Her desire to purify and rectify does neither though and ultimately damages the two patients beyond any semblance of their former selves.
THE BACCHAE
Spring 2020, written by Euripides, directed by Nathan D. Manna
The story of the Bacchae is a coming of age story as a young prince, Pentheus, begins to understand and explore his sexuality with his lover, Cleomachus. His mother Agave, overcome with religious devotion speaks out against the depravity of her son and sends him away to be fixed. Pentheus cannot be fixed though as he isn't broken and Agave's efforts are futile. Abandoning him, it seems all hope is lost until Pentheus is finally found by his lover.
Directed for Advanced Directing at the College of the Holy Cross. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 the show did not officially open. Instead, the only performance was an open dress rehearsal the day before campus closed.
UNSPOKEN: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PARK BENCH
Summer 2019, co-directed and devised by Nathan D. Manna and Saraya Haddad
Unspoken: A Day in the Life of a Park Bench is a tale about everyday taboos that no one wants to speak about but have infiltrated society. Ranging from eating disorders to mental illness and even periods 6 artists performed candid monologues about their experiences with something they consider an everyday taboo. A cathartic experience in community theatre each actor wrote their own monologue and then Saraya and myself loosely directed them to bring out the best of each piece. For one artist that was how to show that mental illness felt "heavy" to them while another was the contrast between mind and body when dissociating.
You can read a review here.
THE ORIGINAL SIN
Spring 2019 written and directed by Nathan D. Manna
The Original Sin is a verbatim theatre piece exploring several instances of hate incidents that occurred at the College of the Holy Cross over the 2018-19 school year. Each incident was followed by an almost identical incident expressing the College's outrage and disappointment, and the resources available for the student. This work takes those emails, ancillary documents like the College's mission statement and corresponded between the author and school administrators and connects the dots between them to paint a picture of institutional apathy.
Written as part of a triptych for my Writing for Theatre module at the University of Sussex.
You can read the text here
THE LIVING COLOUR RESORT
Spring 2019 written and directed by Nathan D. Manna
Based upon the essay "Two Hundred and Forty Three Post Cards in Living Colour" by Georges Perec this piece examined the creation of memory while on vacation. Semi-autobiographical the piece had performers recount their own memories on holidays through specific lenses: food, the beach, writing post-cards and being with family. Utilizing an immersive promenade style the audience was invited into these individual vignettes and to follow the performers on their own holidays.
Created as part of the course Performance: Directing and Composition at the University of Sussex.