Venus
Finalist, Next Generation Playwriting Prize 2012
Reverie Productions, NYC
Venus is a love story loosely based on actual events. It is the story of Lee, a Marine sergeant in Iraq in 2004, and his Iraqi translator, Munira. They fall in love, marry, and return to the States, where they have a child. Lee is depressed and unable to find work and Munira takes a job as a dancer to support the family. The violence they were both forced to absorb during the war inevitably expresses itself in their family life. Their abused child is taken from them and they are sent to counseling. One day Munira simply disappears. The play explores male/female dynamics across cultures, the sociological fallout of war, and the ways in which trauma interacts with love.
Anna Steers as Munira and Lysa Fox as the Nurse
Venus
Finalist, Next Generation Playwriting Prize 2012
Reverie Productions, NYC
Venus is a love story loosely based on actual events. It is the story of Lee, a Marine sergeant in Iraq in 2004, and his Iraqi translator, Munira. They fall in love, marry, and return to the States, where they have a child. Lee is depressed and unable to find work and Munira takes a job as a dancer to support the family. The violence they were both forced to absorb during the war inevitably expresses itself in their family life. Their abused child is taken from them and they are sent to counseling. One day Munira simply disappears. The play explores male/female dynamics across cultures, the sociological fallout of war, and the ways in which trauma interacts with love.
Anna Steers as Munira and Lysa Fox as the Nurse
Venus
Finalist, Next Generation Playwriting Prize 2012
Reverie Productions, NYC
Venus is a love story loosely based on actual events. It is the story of Lee, a Marine sergeant in Iraq in 2004, and his Iraqi translator, Munira. They fall in love, marry, and return to the States, where they have a child. Lee is depressed and unable to find work and Munira takes a job as a dancer to support the family. The violence they were both forced to absorb during the war inevitably expresses itself in their family life. Their abused child is taken from them and they are sent to counseling. One day Munira simply disappears. The play explores male/female dynamics across cultures, the sociological fallout of war, and the ways in which trauma interacts with love.
Anna Steers as Munira and Lysa Fox as the Nurse
Nancy Bell
Playwright/Actor/Director
Nancy Bell, M.F.A.
Associate Professor of Theatre at Saint Louis University
AEA SAG/AFTRA
E-mail: NancyBell672@gmail.com
Twenty-five years professional acting career working in film, onstage and on network TV in New York, Los Angeles, and St. Louis Theatre director and award-winning playwright with fully-produced work in California, New York, and Saint Louis. BFA in Acting and MFA in Acting and Directing.
Work experience
Associate Professor of Theatre
Saint Louis University
2010 - present
Teach Acting 1, Acting 2, Voice, Speech, Acting for the Camera, Period Styles, and Playwriting Workshop. Direct maninstage productions. Serve as Program Director of Theatre.
Literary Manager/Resident Artist
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
2017-2019
Playwright-in-Residence
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
2013 - 2017
Write adaptations of Shakespeare using an innovative blend of Shakespearean verse, contemporary poetry and prose, and original source material gleaned from interviews and story circles. Write plays for children inspired by Shakespeare's stories.
Acting
FILM AND TELEVISION
Bold and the Beautiful, Recurring, CBS, 2009
The Sitter (film), Featured, Lifetime Television, 2007
Bold and the Beautiful, Recurring, CBS, 2007
Medium, Guest Star, NBC, 2006
Numbers, Guest Star, CBS, 2005
Huff, Recurring Guest Star, Showtime, 2004
Loudmouth Soup (film), Lead, Aloha Street Productions, 2004
Century City Guest Star, CBS, 2003
Law and Order: SVU, Guest Star, NBC, 2003
American Tragedy (miniseries), Supporting, CBS, 2002
The Salton Sea, Betty, D.J. Caruso, producer, 2002
Cover Me, Guest Star, USA Network, 2000
Star Trek Voyager, Guest Star, UPN, 1999
Payne, Guest Star, CBS, 1999
Chicago Hope, Guest Star, CBS, 1998
Mad About You, Co-Star, NBC, 1998
Thirst (movie of the week), Supporting, NBC, 1998
News radio, Co-Star, NBC, 1997
Journey of Alan Strange, Recurring Guest Star, Nickelodeon, 1997
Guiding Light, Contract Player, CBS 1995-1996
Law and Order, Co-Star, NBC, 1994
Heavy Blow (film), Lead, Hoang Doang, producer, 1994
THEATRE:
Zelda in the Backyard, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 2024 (Upcoming -World Premiere)
Good Ship St. Louis, Upstream Theatre, St. Louis, 2022 (World Premiere)
Wildfire, Claudine/Caroline, Upstream Theatre, St. Louis, 2020 (U.S. Premiere)
The Wolves, Mom, Repertory Theatre St. Louis, 2019
Percentage American, St. Louis Actors Studio, 2017 (World Premiere)
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Hillary, Arrow Rock Lyceum, 2017
Molly's Hammer, Molly Rush, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, 2016 (World Premiere)
Rumors, Claire, Arrow Rock Lyceum, 2015
Blithe Spirit, Elvira, St. Louis Actors Studio, 2015
Soups, Stews, and Casseroles: 1976, Kat, Rep Theatre of St. Louis, 2014 (World
Premiere)
The Goat or Who is Sylvia? St. Louis Actors Studio, 2013
Clybourne Park, Bev/Kathy, Rep Theatre of St. Louis, 2012
Sight Unseen, Patricia, South Coast Repertory, 2012
End Days, Sylvia, New Jewish Theatre, 2011
Macbeth, Lady Macduff, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, 2010
Poetry of Pizza, Sarah, California Repertory, 2010
Festen, Else, California Repertory, 2010
And the War Came, Ensemble, California Repertory, 2009
Noises Off, Belinda, South Coast Repertory, 2009
What They Have, Suzanne, South Coast Repertory, 2008 (World Premiere)
Anon, Janice, Echo Theatre Company, 2007
Learned Ladies of Park Avenue, Hartford Stage, 2005 (World Premiere)
Enchanted April, Lotty, Pasadena Playhouse, 2004
Twentieth Century, Lilly, L.A. Theatre Works, 2005
War Music, Nurse Poole, Geffen Playhouse, 2003 (World Premiere)
Time Flies, Edna, The Old Globe, 2003
Polish Joke, Portia, Manhattan Theatre Club, 2003
The Bald Soprano, Mrs. Martin, Classical Theatre Lab, 2002
Fall, Jill, Berkeley Rep, 2000
The Circle, Elizabeth, South Coast Repertory, 2001
Polish Joke, Portia, A Contemporary Theatre, 2001 (World Premiere)
Fall, Jill, Baltimore Center Stage, 2000
All My Sons, Ann, South Coast Repertory, 2000
Wildlife, Winona, Echo Theatre Company, 2000 (World Premiere)
The Philanderer, Julia, South Coast Repertory, 1999
A Devil Inside, Lily, Echo Theatre Company, 1999
At the Tone, Woman, The Journey Company, Edinburgh Festival, 1998 (World Premiere)
Private Eyes, Cory, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 1997
The Misanthrope, Celimene, McCarter Theatre, 1996
Three Musketeers, Milady, Saint Louis Repertory, 1996 (World Premiere)
Prisoner of Zenda, Flavia, Paper Mill Playhouse, 1996 (World Premiere)
Dracula, Lucy, Cincinnati Playhouse, 1995
Private Lives Sybil Baltimore Center Stage, 1995
The Price You Pay, Ensemble, Journey Company, 1995 (World Premiere)
Loot, Fay, Dallas Theatre Center, 1994
Tale of Two Cities, Lucie, Paper Mill Playhouse, 1994 (World Premiere)
Owners, Mrs. Arlington, New York Theatre Workshop, 1993
My Children! My Africa!, Isabel, Studio Arena Theatre, 1993
The Possibilities, Ensemble, Tribeca Lab Theatre, 1993
Charley’s Aunt, Kitty, Berkshire Theatre Festival, 1992
Great Expectations, Estella, Paper Mill Playhouse, 1991 (World Premiere)
Macbeth, Lady Macduff, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, 1990
As You Like It, Rosalind, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, 1990
Playwriting/Screenwriting
FILMS, PRODUCED
Loudmouth Soup, Co-writer, Aloha Street Productions, 2004
PLAYS, PRODUCED
She, ERA Theatre Company, 2021
MUTE: A play for Zoom, self-produced on Zoom, 2020
The Last Cupcake, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, 2019
Blow Winds, Shakespeare Festival St.Louis, 2018
A Most Outrageous Fit of Madness, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, 2018
Remember Me, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, 2016R
Mutual Consent (with Peter Grandbois), California Rep Theatre, Long Beach, CA, 2016
Found at Sea, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis / St. Louis Symphony, 2016
The Runaway Cupcake, OnSite Theatre Company, St. Louis, MO, 2015
Good in Everything, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, 2014
Old Hearts Fresh, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, 2013
Present Tense, (with Peter Grandbois), one-act, Labute New Play Festival, 2013
The Call, (with Peter Grandbois), one-act, MadLab Theatre Roulette Festival, 2013
The New World, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, 2012
With Feathers, one-act, produced as part of Songs of the Siren: The Greeks Remixed, One
Act Play Festival, University Players, California State-Long Beach
Venus, one act, produced as part of And the War Came, California Repertory, 2009
Never Wake a Sleeping Marine, one-act, produced as part of And the War Came,
California Repertory, 2009
PLAYS, PUBLISHED
Student, New Plains Review, Spring 2023
PLAYS, NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT/WORKSHOPS
The People in the Cabin, Great Plains Theatre Conference, 2019
The People in the Cabin, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, 2018
Mutual Consent, America Rising New Play Development Program, Bristol Riverside
Theatre, Bristol, PA, 2014
Venus, Next Generation Playwriting Prize Finalist Workshop, Reverie Productions, New
York, NY, 2012
PLAYS, WORKS IN PROGRESS
Antonia, a full length play in verse
Directing
As You Like It, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, 2024 (Upcoming)
Turn of the Screw, Union Avenue Opera, St. Louis, 2023
Big Machine, Center for Creative Arts, St. Louis, 2022 (World Premiere)
Billy Elliot, Center for Creative Arts, St. Louis, 2021
Twelfth Night, Saint Louis University, 2019
Into the Breeches!, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, 2018
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Saint Louis University 2018
The How and the Why, New Jewish Theatre, 2018
Sacred Space and How's Bruno, Labute New Theatre Festival, 2017
The Way We Get By, St. Louis Actor's Studio, 2016
Distracted, Saint Louis University, 2016
Crimes of the Heart, Saint Louis University, 2015
As You Like It, Saint Louis University, 2014
Playhouse Creatures, Saint Louis University, 2013
Wonder of the World, Saint Louis University, 2012
Blithe Spirit, Saint Louis University, 2011
OTMA, Saint Louis University, 2011
Wo
2010 - present
2010 - present
Education
California State University at Long Beach
MFA-Acting and Directing
State University of New York at Purchase
BFA-Acting
Mississippi University for Women
MFA Candidate in Creative Writing, 2025
Awards
STL Critic Circle Award, Best Director of a Comedy, 2019
Scholarly Works Award, St. Louis University, 2018
Visionary Award for Outstanding Arts Professional in St. Louis, 2017
Saint Louis Critics Circle Award, Outstanding New Play (Playwriting) 2015
STL Critics Circle Award, Best Actress in a Comedy 2014
STL Critics Circle Award, Outstanding New Play (Playwriting) 2013
STL Critics Circle Award, Best Actress in a Drama 2012
Winner, LaBute New Play Festival (Playwriting) 2012
Finalist, Next Generation New Play Prize 2012