Oánh Nguyễn Executive Artistic Director

Artist Profile

Oánh Nguyễn has been serving as Chance Theater’s founding Artistic Director since 1999. Oánh is a recipient of TCG’s New Generations Grant and the TCG Nathan Cummings Young Leaders of Color Fellowship. He was awarded the Outstanding Artist Award by Arts Orange County, profiled in Orange County Register’s “Most Influential People” series and OC Weekly’s People Issue, inducted into Anaheim High School’s Hall of Fame and was a commencement speaker for Chapman University College of Performing Arts. Oánh was Producing Associate at South Coast Repertory where he initiated and programmed the first three seasons of alternative offerings under the banner of StudioSCR. He also served on the advisory board of the Anaheim High School Performing Arts Conservatory, the board of Network of Ensemble Theatres, LA’s 99-seat Transitional Committee, and OC Theatre Guild, as well as panels and committees for Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Alternative Theatre Los Angeles, National Endowment for the Arts and Theatre Communications Group. His directing credits include productions at Chance Theater, East West Players, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, South Coast Repertory, Ensemble Theater Company, Aurora Theatre Company, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, Chapman University, UC Riverside, Azusa Pacific University, AMDA, CSU Fullerton, and served as the Associate Director for the international tour of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish (Berkeley Repertory, South Coast Repertory, Hong Kong Arts Festival). His selected film credits include Two Brothers, Rush Hour 3, and Lonely Boy.

Productions at Chance Theater

Production Date Role
Norine & The King of Swatsville: OTR Reading September 2023 Director
Colonialism is Terrible, But Phở is Delicious March 2023 Director
Colonialism is Terrible, But Pho is Delicious February 2021 Director
Creep: OTR Staged Reading May 2019 Director
Skylight April 2019 Director
Big Fish June 2018 Director
A Chorus Line July 2016 Director
After The Revolution April 2015 Director
In The Heights July 2014 Director
The Laramie Project & Ten Years Later April 2013 Director
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (2012) November 2012 Director
West Side Story July 2012 Director
Reborning April 2012 Director
The Superheroine Monologues April 2011 Director
The Boy in the Bathroom April 2011 Director
The Who’s Tommy February 2011 Director
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (2010) November 2010 Director
The Who’s Tommy July 2010 Director
Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter April 2010 Director
Jesus Hates Me February 2010 Director
Merrily We Roll Along February 2010 Director
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (2009) December 2009 Director
Hair
 The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical July 2009 Director
The Girl, The Grouch, 
and The Goat April 2009 Director
Jesus Hates Me January 2009 Director
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues – 5th Anniversary! December 2008 Director
Rabbit Hole May 2008 Director
Assassins February 2008 Director
Sunday In The Park With George September 2007 Director
Frozen May 2007 Director
Inventing Van Gogh February 2007 Director
Into the Woods July 2006 Director
The Last 5 Years January 2006 Director
The Laramie Project September 2005 Director
Cabaret June 2005 Director
Porcelain March 2005 Director
Closer than Ever January 2005 Director
Tape September 2004 Director
Goodnight Children Everywhere May 2004 Director & Scenic Designer
The Lord of the Screen: The Fellowship of the Pen — The Improv-ical March 2004 Playwright / Director
The Fantasticks July 2003 Director
Lee Miller: The Angel and the Fiend April 2003 Director
Bash October 2002 Director
Trail of Tears August 2002 Director
Three Days of Rain March 2002 Director
Beethoven: Heaven’s Voice January 2002 Scenic Designer
The Gondoliers January 2002 Scenic Designer
The Stroop Report January 2000 Director / Scenic Designer