She played Edna in Clifford Odets' play, "Waiting for Lefty," in a Group Theater Company production at the Selwyn Theatre in Chicago, Illinois with Morris Carnovsky (Harry Fatt); Art Smith (Joe); Tony Kraber (Miller); Louis Leverett (Irv); Phoebe Brand (Florrie); Jules Garfield (Sid); Bob Lewis (Clayton); Elia Kazan (Keller); Sanford Meisner (henchman); Maury Miller (henchman); Roman Bolmen (Dr. Barnes); Luther Adler (Dr. Benjamin); and William Challee (a man) in the cast.
Following her parents' divorce Nelson lived with her father in Australia from 1911 until 1913 before spending 6 months with her mother in England, followed by 18 months with her in San Francisco and then she resumed living with her father again, this time in Japan, from 1918 until 1921.
