Kangnan Zheng (Nan) is a New York–based actor and theatre artist. Her path into theatre was not a straight line. She began by studying English literature, then made a life-changing turn toward acting at 24 after discovering the transformative power of drama.

Her journey has taken her across theatre, film, and drama education—from teaching acting and leading a startup that promoted drama education in Chinese schools to practicing Playback Theatre, teaching theatre in American public schools, and creating and performing theatre within her church community. Throughout this journey, one thread has remained constant: her belief in drama as a way to bring people together.

Having lived and worked across China, Nepal, the UK, New Zealand, and the United States, she brings a cross-cultural perspective to her work. As an actor, she is fascinated by the complexities and contradictions of human experience. She sees each role as an opportunity to step into another person’s world, discover their truths, and find the humanity that connects us beneath our differences.