“He approaches everything with so much passion, and it’s really admirable to see in a peer,” said Rachel Mundorf, a member of the production team.
“He’s just a solid dude. Once you’ve done a production with him, you don’t want to not do one with him,” said Landon Bishop, a stagehand.
"This guy’s cool, I like him,” said 10-year-old Nolan Rowell, who played Michael Banks in “Mary Poppins.”
The reviews are in — director Nathan Wynn is a consistent standout in the local theater scene.
This summer is his second year directing a theater production. And he just turned 17.
One year ago, Wynn directed “Aladdin Jr.” at the Gainesville Shrine Club, balancing schoolwork with rehearsals, choreographing and creating costumes.
Since then, both his productions and his leadership style have evolved, something his cast and crew say is evident in rehearsals for his latest show, “Mary Poppins,” which had its final performance on Saturday, April 4, at the Ripple Theatricals theater.
Now, a more confident, more experienced Wynn is running his own theater company, Ripple Theatricals, with the poise of a seasoned director.
Wynn founded Ripple Theatricals just over a year ago after previously working with 2nd Act Productions, a Gainesville-based non-profit theater organization. It only took one production with 2nd Act after his directorial debut at 15, that he knew he could go bigger.
“I had a vision,” Wynn said. “I wanted to make it my own.”
Wynn presented a thought-out financial plan to his parents, who helped him take out a loan to help fund his endeavor. His vision came to life when he and his parents purchased the building. Wynn and his friends spent all of last summer gutting the place — which they renovated in just three months — transforming the former church into the theater of Wynn’s dreams.
The path to get to where Ripple is now was no easy feat. Wynn said working on a musical amid construction and renovations definitely proved to be a challenge.
“We had rehearsals for ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ and every night it’d be something different,” Wynn said. “We would come in, and there was just concrete on the floors or wood framing all over the walls. The next night, they were putting up drywall or building the stage. There were so many moving parts.”
Despite the stress, all the pieces came together, and now Wynn has a theater that’s all his.
With a permanent rehearsal and performance space, Wynn no longer must work around limited time slots or shared venues. Sets can stay up, costumes have a place to live and rehearsals can run as long as needed, whenever they’re needed.
Wynn, alongside several cast and crew members, said having a consistent rehearsal space has made a noticeable difference in the quality of their productions.
“This is something I can do easily now,” Wynn said. “It’s been great to see so many people’s lives changed in this building, even just in the past couple of months of us being here.”
For those working alongside him, that impact is easy to see, both on and off the stage.
Even in the last year, everyone has seen him grow into his own.
“I love it when someone really challenges themselves to be uncomfortable,” said Taylor Murray, a “Mary Poppins” cast member. “I’ve seen Nathan talk to people in ways that [most] 16- or 17-year-olds wouldn’t, not in a negative way, but in a confident way.”
Taylor Murray, 44, started as a proud parent simply supporting his daughter, Kinley Murray, 12, who has been working with Nathan for over a year, from the audience. Recently, he, alongside his wife, Lauren, has stepped into the spotlight.
What he once observed as an audience member, Taylor Murray now sees up close.
“I think what has impressed me the most is that [Nathan’s] got the patience of a saint,” Taylor Murray said. “[He has] this ability to navigate someone who’s 4 years old, and you get the best out of them, but then at the same time, someone who’s 84 years old, and he’s pushing them, too.”
Not only does he encourage and see the value in all his performers, but Wynn also pushes them to try new things.
Both Taylor and Lauren Murray started getting more involved with the productions as a way to spend more time with Kinley during her busy rehearsal schedule. Lauren started by helping with lighting. Now, the whole Murray family can be seen on the stage.
“All through middle and high school, I had such a fear of going in front of people, so I would’ve never even thought of theater as an option,” Lauren Murray said. “I feel like [Nathan] sees everyone’s potential. He’s very encouraging, always having people step out of their bubble.”
Wynn’s pride and confidence have a hold on everyone, something he instills in whoever’s around him. One thing Taylor Murray has learned from Wynn is to “stand up and own it.”
“There’s been times I’ve been slouched over, and I’m trying to sing,” he said, “and [Nathan] was like ‘No, no, no, stand up straight. Lean into it, own it.’”
Moments like these are what keep people coming back to work with Wynn.
“Nathan has this energy that’s not common among most people. It’s really easy to work with him,” said 16-year-old Kailani Clifford, a member of the production team. “I keep coming back because I enjoy it so much because Nathan has fostered an environment here that feels like family.”
As the Ripple Theatricals family continues to grow, so does Wynn’s influence on the people around him.
As for what’s next for the teenage director, he has no plans on slowing down anytime soon. Wynn has already selected and scheduled Ripple’s next few shows, including Disney’s “Newsies,” the hit Broadway show “Dear Evan Hansen” and a more unique musical called “Nunsense A-men!” an all-male version of the hit musical comedy “Nunsense.” It features the same book, music and lyrics as the original show, but with the five nun characters portrayed by men.
Additionally, Wynn made the decision to graduate from high school early. He plans to pursue music education, staying involved with the performing arts, with hopes of eventually attending the University of Florida. Next fall, he will attend Santa Fe College to finish out his associate’s degree.
“I’ve been doing everything I can up until my last day of high school to pursue my dreams to the fullest extent,” Wynn said.
One thing’s for certain — while Nathan Wynn is going places, he isn’t going anywhere.
“I don’t have anywhere else to go other than Gainesville. I love it here,” Wynn said. “I have a lot of people that mean a lot to me here. I don’t have any reason to go anywhere else.”
Whatever Nathan Wynn’s future holds, the stage is set for greatness. His story may be just beginning, but Ripple Theatricals is already proof of how far he’s come.
