Hank Nuwer plays a diverse range of characters in regional theater, spanning Shakespearean rulers, authority figures, complex fathers, and seasonal personas. Best known as an author, newspaper columnist, and journalism professor based in Fairbanks, Alaska, his acting repertoire heavily features stage productions with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and local theater associations.
His prominent acting roles generally fall into the following types of parts:
Authority Figures and Antagonists
- Ruthless Company Men: He starred as Harry Fatt, a self-serving, anti-union corporate supervisor in UAF’s production of STRIKE!.
- Law Enforcement Inspectors: He portrayed the Chief Inspector (Inspector Hubbard) in the classic thriller Dial M for Murder.
- Royalty and Leaders: He has taken on Shakespearean authority figures, notably playing Prince Escalus in Romeo and Juliet.
- Dramatic and Complex Family Roles
- Struggling Fathers: He took on the emotionally challenging role of Ed Boone, the father navigating a fractured relationship with his son, in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
- Elderly Figures: He stretched his age range to play the title character as “The Old Man” in Shakespeare’s King Lear. [
- Intellectuals and Production Roles
- Academics: He played “The Professor” in the University of Alaska’s production of Something in the Living Room.
- Meta-Theatrical Roles: He stepped into show-business parts as both the Director and the Announcer in Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys.
- Holiday and Character Parts
- Jolly Icons: He frequently portrays warm, festive figures like Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street.
- Whimsical Stage Characters: He took on the fantasy character Mulch and an angry Santa Claus in Ken Ludwig’s T’was the Night Before Christmas. [
- One-Man Educational Shows
Advocacy Roles: Leveraging his background as the leading international expert on campus hazing, Nuwer writes and performs his own educational one-man plays—such as Death of a Rookie
Nuwer Specifics: 5’09” and 205 pounds.
Accents: Can do most, particularly Eastern street accents.
Primary residence: Alaska. Secondary residences: Indiana and Warsaw, Poland
Recent roles:
2026: The Announcer and Director Phil Schaefer in “The Sunshine Boys,” Fairbanks Drama Association.
2025: The Chief Inspector in Fairbanks Drama Association’s “Dial ‘M’ for Murder.”
2024: Santa, Mulch, Wendell in T’was the Night before Christmas (Fairbanks)
Midwest Writers interview and writing tips with Hank Nuwer
Roy Walters (Drunk Santa) and Hank Nuwer (Kris Kringle), 2023
- From Eric Pope of Rochester Institute of Technology: “RIT’s Fraternity & Sorority Life was honored to have the internationally renowned hazing prevention expert, Hank Nuwer, as our Hazing Prevention Week Keynote speaker. Professor Nuwer was able to share powerful stories on how hazing has impacted the lives of not only the victims but the families, friends, and others which really hit home to our community. . . .Hearing the stories about how others have suffered has only strengthened my resolve to continue fighting against this evil. “
Hank Nuwer (Actor: Harry Fatt)
Hank Nuwer brings a wealth of experience to STRIKE!, stepping into the role of Harry Fatt, a brash and self-serving company man. “I wanted the part of Harry Fatt and tried out just for that role,” Nuwer shares. “Symbolically, he’s a Fatt Cat, a plush bum with a supervisor’s title and men in his care whose lives and well-being he abuses.” With a background in both Shakespearean theatre and investigative journalism, Nuwer embraces the show’s themes of power, struggle, and resilience. His portrayal of Fatt offers a striking contrast to the hardworking characters fighting for justice, making STRIKE! a thought-provoking and unforgettable experience. —University of Alaska College of Liberal Arts (Fairbanks campus)
