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CHRIS SIMMONS Nordonia Drama Advisor Director, Nordonia Drama Season Advisor, International Thespian Troupe 2802 Chris Simmons (he/him) is a graduate of Nordonia High School, Class of 2004. He has since earned bachelor's degrees in Education and Theatre Arts at The University of Akron. In 2013, he completed his Master's of Arts in Education. Chris has been involved with Nordonia Drama in some capacity since he graduated high school. Originally a production assistant and backstage coordinator, he moved up to the role of Assistant Director for 2011's Beauty and the Beast and then assumed the role of Director of Drama for the 2013-2014 school year. He has directed the fall play since 2012 and made his Nordonia spring musical directorial debut in 2014 with The Wedding Singer. Spring 2027 will mark his twenty-third musical with Nordonia Drama as a member of the production staff, his twenty-seventh consecutive musical overall. During his time at Nordonia, Chris is honored to have been a three-time recipient of the Nordonia Schools Foundation Superintendent's Award, as well as the recipient of a Dazzle Award from Playhouse Square. In addition to Drama at Nordonia, Chris is still active throughout northeast Ohio as an actor, director, and properties designer. Some of his favorite roles have included: Guys and Dolls (Nicely Nicely Johnson), Aida (Zoser), the northeast Ohio premiere of The Gospel According to Tammy Faye (Jerry Falwell), Godspell, A Christmas Carol (Ebenezer Scrooge), The Taming of the Shrew (Tranio), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bottom), White Christmas (Ralph Sheldrake/Ezekiel), and Big River, for which he earned an American College Theatre Festival Irene Ryan nomination for his portrayal of The King. Select Nordonia directing credits include productions of: Aida, Puffs, Little Shop of Horrors, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Little Women, Oklahoma!, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia!, The Addams Family, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Romeo & Juliet, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a personal bucket list show which was honored with eight 2026 Dazzle Award nominations. Chris is active as a director, actor and properties designer at several area theatres, most prominently Rubber City Theatre, based out of Akron. He has been involved with Rubber City Theatre since their inception in 2013, and is currently serving as the Producing Director of their Teen Takeover program, having directed their productions of Almost, Maine (2025 BroadwayWorld Cleveland Best Play Winner) and Rent. He has also directed RCT's productions of Freaky Friday, The Crucible and The Importance of Being Earnest, and is currently serving on their Board of Directors. |