DIRECTOR | CREATIVE LEADERSHIP | EDUCATOR
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DIRECTOR
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Allison started her career as a performer, working in New York and Regional theater, as well as doing an extensive amount of commercial work. She also worked as a Children’s Guardian on Broadway, serving as an artistic liaison between professional child actors, the creative team and management on 12 Broadway shows. These experiences, along with her knack for comedy, have inspired and informed her creative approach.
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Allison transitioned from performer to director in 2011 and has since directed numerous regional productions, readings and workshops. In 2018 she assisted on the off-Broadway revival of Smokey Joe's Cafe. As a freelance writer, Allison has published numerous articles and essays, in addition to writing short plays and screenplays.
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Recognizing the mental health crisis in the industry, Allison created and hosts Anxiety and the Artist, a podcast that explores artists relationship with anxiety while offering insight and inspiration. In addition to producing her own podcast, Allison also serves as a voice director for fiction podcasts, most recently working with Peabody Award Winning, Gen-Z Media on their first full length feature Iowa Chapman and the Last Dog.
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Allison received her BA in Theater from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She holds a certificate in directing from the Yale School of Drama, as well as a certificate in Classical and Contemporary Theater from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in the UK, and is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).
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Born and raised in Southern California, Allison’s heart has always belonged to the East Coast, so that’s where she lives. She and her husband split their time between New York and Boston with their step-dog Oscar.
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I spent a good deal of my childhood directing and starring in my own recreations of I Love Lucy episodes. I was mesmerized by how Lucy could take the absurd and make it believable. At a sleepover one night, I roped my friend Amanda into an attempt to recreate “Pioneer Women”, one of my favorite Lucy episodes. We were eight, and I had this fantastic plan for baking a life-size loaf of bread that would send our audience (my cat) into roaring laughter. We threw a bunch of water, flour and yeast into a bowl, mixed it with our hands and then threw it in the oven. My mother awoke to the smell of burning yeast at midnight and decided she needed to find an outlet for her daughter's ever growing comedic and creative curiosities. I’ve been working to share laughter - and correctly cooked baked goods - ever since.
I tell stories with heart, humor and authenticity. I strive to challenge perspectives and affect change while encouraging tolerance and empathy. I have a strong commitment to diversity in casting and telling the stories of the underrepresented.