Jeffrey Nolan walked the halls of Kent Gardens Elementary, Longfellow Middle School and McLean High School before he ever stepped onto a professional stage. Now the McLean native is a member of the 2026-27 acting cohort at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, the only theater for young audiences ever to win a Tony Award.

Nolan is performing as an understudy in CTC's production of "Pinocchio," which opens Sept. 8 and runs through Oct. 18 at the UnitedHealth Group Stage. The show, adapted and directed by playwright Greg Banks from Carlo Collodi's novel, is geared toward children ages 5 to 10 and runs about 95 minutes with intermission. Tickets start at $10.

He didn't audition for his first play until high school. "By the end of my senior year, I was a tried-and-true theater kid so, I don't think any of my former classmates would be surprised to find me still at it," Nolan told FFXnow in an Aug. 11 profile.

After graduating from McLean High, Nolan attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he first connected with CTC as an education department intern. The summer of 2026 marked his eighth year teaching with the company. He told FFXnow in the same profile that he feels fortunate to now work with CTC as a performer after years on the education side.

Beyond CTC, Nolan has built a career across the Twin Cities theater scene, performing with Brave New Workshop, Zephyr Theatre and Gremlin Theatre. He is also a company member of Melancholics Anonymous, a Minneapolis ensemble.

Nolan's alma mater continues to send students toward the stage. McLean High School's drama program, TheatreMcLean, earned first place at the 2026 Virginia High School League One-Act Competition and advanced to the state competition in Charlottesville. The program, funded by the TheatreMcLean Boosters parent organization, stages a fall play and spring musical each year.

"Pinocchio" runs Sept. 8 through Oct. 18 at Children's Theatre Company, 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis. More information and tickets are available at childrenstheatre.org.

Upcoming local arts events: The McLean Community Center's Alden Theatre, a 383-seat venue at 1234 Ingleside Ave., presents performing arts programming year-round and sponsors the Unruly Theatre Project, McLean's teen improv company. TheatreMcLean's fall play season begins when McLean High students return in September.