From Netflix to Ann Arbor: ‘Nate’ Brings Gender-Bending Comedy to UMS
Award-winning performer Natalie Palamides brings her provocative exploration of masculinity to Ann Arbor

Natalie Palamides considers herself a “clowner” — a type of comedian whose sets rely on audience interaction and engagement, the use of props and a certain level of absurdity. That absurdity might entail wrestling audience members (after they’ve signed a waiver, of course), or a romantic on-stage relationship with a mannequin.
The University of Michigan’s University Musical Society (UMS) is excited for Palamides to bare all — or mostly all — from Feb. 5-9 at the Arthur Miller Theater in her upcoming performance of “Nate – A One-Man Show,” written and performed by Palamides in drag.
“This work in particular is featured as part of our ‘No Safety Net’ series, which features provocative theater productions that foster timely conversations around topical social themes. It will be a really fun one, not to mention the pure talent of Natalie Palamides generates a bit of excitement as it is,” says Lilian Varner, UMS marketing and media relations manager.
Throughout the show, Nate — who is Palamides with fake facial hair, chest hair and genitalia — is dealing with a breakup and is forced to uncover themes of toxic masculinity and sexual politics. The character learns about consent between soda belches and spewing profanities, while the audience is left to ponder the nuances of masculinity and observe the different ways humanity can act and react. Palamides says her goal was to showcase a character with equal parts “grotesqueness and vulnerability.”
“My intent was to make it as confusing as possible,” Palamides tells Pride Source.
Palamides began workshopping the show concept in 2017, around the same time multiple women came out against Harvey Weinstein for sexual abuse. When the #MeToo movement gained attention and the conversation about consent became more prevalent, Palamides wanted to talk about it, too, but have those conversations in person, versus online.
“I thought, ‘What’s the perfect place to have these conversations in the room with other people, and where does that happen?’ And it’s in the theater,” she says.
“And what do I do? I make theater. So I have to bring it to my audience.”

And while the character of Nate might be flawed, annoying and even gross, he also has very real emotions and realizations, much like anyone else. Palamides says she hopes to show that when you “crack someone open,” you just might find something relatable.
“The goal of the show is to bring everyone in the room together. And with the Nate character, I’ve always been drawn to this juxtaposition of him. It’s always really fun to play with his tough exterior, and then these moments where he lets his guard down. Because everyone’s a human being and everyone has these different shields up for different reasons, and people wear themselves in the world a certain way because of their lived experiences and how they’ve been taught they should behave to be accepted or received a certain way,” says Palamides.
She premiered the play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018, where it won a Total Theatre Award for Innovation and Experimentation. The show gained the attention of Amy Poehler’s production company, Paper Kite Productions, which eventually led to a Netflix special of the same name in December 2020. Palamides performed as Nate in a few settings across the U.K., Ireland and New York before the COVID-19 pandemic, but this will be the first time Palamides has performed as Nate in five years.
“I’ve really got to get in shape. Nate has abs, but Nate definitely doesn’t have abs now, if you know what I mean,” says Palamides.
Still, Palamides says she is excited to perform as Nate again and to visit Michigan for the first time, even if it’s in the middle of winter. And UMS is just as thrilled for people to come see the performance.
“The UMS team is really excited about the performance of ‘Nate,’ and we’re especially excited to see how it plays out with our local Ann Arbor audiences across six different shows. This is a rare opportunity to see the show live, as it’s not being presented anywhere else,” says Varner.
Palamides is also looking forward to mixed takeaways from the audience. Palamides says a big part of the show is exploring Nate’s masculinity and the exterior that he wears alongside him, but she also acknowledges that everyone’s takeaway from the show can, and probably will, be different.
“I didn’t set out to make a statement about what is right and what is wrong. I more set out to get people to engage in face-to-face conversations with the people they came with afterward,” says Palamides.
UMS is sure that audience members will be surprised and entertained by the show, and that people should “expect the unexpected.”
“‘Nate’ is a very comedic one-man show with a ton of audience interaction that presents a new way to reflect on some serious and hard-to-talk-about issues. Ultimately, it's a unique take on stand-up comedy that makes fun of the exact kind of men who have consistently dominated the stand-up comedy scene,” says Varner.
Plus, Palamides wants people to laugh.
“That’s the goal. Even though the subject matter is sometimes serious, it’s a comedy,” she says. “It’s silly, you’ll walk away laughing… hopefully.”
For the remainder of the 2024- 2025 season, UMS is looking forward to other performances and guest appearances, including live music, gaming workshops, dance ensembles, film concerts and more.
This article is a sponsored editorial produced in collaboration with University Musical Society. Between The Lines’s LGBTQ+ journalism is made possible with the support and partnership of advertisers like UMS. To learn more about UMS and other upcoming performances, check out their schedule at ums.org/season.