ODALYS NANIN
Odalys Nanin wears many hats in the entertainment industry: acting, writing (with three published plays), directing and producing. Her many years in the theater world also made her the ideal candidate to found the MACHA Theatre, the first (and only) lesbian- and Latina-owned theater that Nanin resurrected from its former life as The Globe Playhouse. One of her most memorable experiences in that theater happened during her first play, co-written with Marie Barrientos, “Love Struck.” A male audience member complimented her on the universality of her lesbian play, then asked her if she was gay. “It was a direct question made in front of my agent,” she remembers. “Back then, as an actress in Hollywood, being out was a big NO. But in my mind, I thought, ‘I’m the writer, director, producer and actress in this play; how can I deny that I’m gay and be true to myself as a writer/creator?’ I chose to be true to my writing, so I smiled and said, ‘Yes, I’m gay.’ He replied, ‘Too bad. I was going to ask you out to dinner.’ I just laughed.” In November 2017, look for Nanin’s new play “Frida—Stroke of Passion!” –GH
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