NAHAL NAVIDAR is an Iranian-born writer raised in upstate New York. Her work is motivated by the exploration of social issues while employing magical elements to embody the expanse of human emotion and has been described as “a portal of empathy.” Nahal’s plays have been developed or produced at Momentary Theatre (Chicago), Theatre @ Boston Court (Pasadena, California), Silk Road Rising (Chicago), Ensemble Studio Theatre LA (Los Angeles), The Vagrancy Writer’s Group (Los Angeles), Rogue Machine Dramaturge’s Table (Los Angeles), Coeurage Theatre CoLab Play Development (Los Angeles), Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena, California), Playwrights’ Arena (Los Angeles), Troy Foundry Theatre (Troy, New York), The Last Frontier Theatre Conference (Valdez, Alaska), Golden Thread Productions (San Francisco, California), Company of Angels (Los Angeles), The Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), Williamstown Theatre Festival (Massachusetts), and The University at Albany (New York). As an Iranian artist living in a post 9/11 world, her writing investigates issues of cultural identity and often feature characters searching for a proverbial home. Nahal received her M.F.A. training at U.S.C.’s School of Dramatic Arts. She is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild of America.

As an educator with over 15 years of experience, Nahal has taught across a wide range of age groups and intersectionalities. While teaching in the Micronesian Island Saipan,  Nahal founded the Fabulous Invalid Theatre Company whose mission was to promote the diverse voices of the Marianas and provide educational outreach to Saipan’s students. Nahal’s multi-cultured background has had a profound impact on her writing. 

Photo by Kevin Vasquez