Michael E. Nehring Joins Portland Shakespeare Project

Portland Shakespeare Project today announced that Michael E. Nehring, Professor of Theatre at Chapman University in Orange, California, has joined Portland Shakespeare Project as the Education Director and Associate Artistic Director.

Core to Portland Shakespeare Project’s mission is offering classes and educational programs designed to raise proficiency, broaden knowledge and enrich understanding of classical material and contemporary works that honor the traditions of classical theatre. Nehring will continue the development of strong education programs for actors, students and audience members.

Nehring is an accomplished actor, director, choreographer and teacher. He has been a founding member of several successful theatre companies, including Shakespeare Orange County for which he has played leading roles such as Prospero, Shylock, Benedick, Iago, Malvolio, Polonius, Caliban, and all the Shakespearean fools. He has received the Los Angeles Weekly Award for Performance and three Los Angeles Drama-logue Awards for Performance. As a proud member of Actor’s Equity he has performed for The Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles, A Noise Within, Shakespeare Santa Barbara, Pensacola Shakespeare, and recently for the Prague Shakespeare Festival in the Czech Republic.

Nehring earned his Master’s of Theatre degree at the University of Oregon. He is also certified to teach acting with the Meisner Technique and completed the Shakespeare and Company Intensive training. He has been teaching at Chapman University for thirty years, serving several terms as Theatre Department Chair. He was instrumental in developing Chapman’s BFA degree program in Theatrical Performance and has created classes for the BFA degree program in Screen Acting. He has served as an on-camera acting coach for The Disney Channel and has taught for California State University at Long Beach, The Portland Actor’s Conservatory and at Portland Shakespeare Project for the past two summers. Nehring currently lives and teaches in California, but plans to spend summers and many weekends in Portland.