Performer Ryan Hayes in tan-colored vest, brown brimmed hat and yellow-striped shirt sits on the floor next to an audience member in a dark pullover top while holding a metal wine glass.

Theatre

I’ve been working in independent theatre and event production for 20+ years as a lighting designer/technician, stage manager, marketing coordinator, publicist, Fringe Festival tour support, dramaturg, critic, performance coach, playwright, and creative producer. I’m drawn to new works, iterative development, immersive experiences, and multi-disciplinary productions. 

Over the years, I’ve self-produced over 100 underground events, prioritizing artist well-being and audience interactivity. I worked in various capacities at the EXIT Theatre/San Francisco Fringe Festival from 2000-2021, and have been on staff for numerous other performing arts companies around the Bay Area, including the Phoenix Arts Association, the Marsh, CounterPulse, Eye Zen Presents, and the Yerba Buena Arts Festival.

Currently I’m touring my futuristic, climate-change radio play The Forever Wave on the international Fringe Festival circuit as a digital, on-demand piece. It opened on March 4, 2023 in San Francisco, broadcasting from Sutro Tower on KSFP 102.5 FM and has been on tour, locally and internationally, ever since.

Read about some of my Fringe Festival tours here, here, and here. Visit my selected production portfolio here

Nicole understands theatre-why it works, why it doesn’t, and what audiences who keep coming back are looking for in this shared experience.

– Gabe Meline, editor, KQED Arts