Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan White.
Alan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I fell in love with acting as a kid. But after college I didn’t have the courage to face the uncertainty of an artist’s career. I worked in other industries like IT until 2001, when my older brother died of a heart attack, just a few months before 9-11. I thought about my priorities then and committed to following my true calling. I promised myself I’d start auditioning and the first role I was cast in I would quit my day job and find a way to make acting my life. I was cast in show weeks after making the decision and I’ve been a working actor and storyteller ever since. It hasn’t been easy and I’ve still had times where I needed to find work outside of my art but I’ve always kept the focus on creating new opportunities to work in my field and I’ve been blessed to work with many of the most exciting artists and companies in New England.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I had to face a lot of the challenges that any business does like networking and marketing. I had no idea how to get out and do that. Though changing technology really helped. When I started I was calling theaters on the phone and asking permission to send them my headshot. These days you can book gigs right on Facebook. In the end if you get that gig or not comes down to “type” do you look like what the director imagines. I don’t fit most types directors are looking for. That was a huge obstacle because it made it hard to know which projects I should be auditioning for. I’m a person of color but I don’t fit in to most of the common types that one sees on TV, or many of the characters written for stage. I would get called in to auditions with other actors who I had nothing in common with except ethnic background. More than once I found out later I was passed on for a project because I wasn’t “Black Enough”.
In time I began to create my own original work to support my creative outlets and my business. So long as I was depending on other people to cast me I gave them all the control. But creating my own performances, mostly storytelling, I took much more agency over my life, and created a space where no one can decide I’m not enough of anything.
Alan White – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m probably most recognized as the guy on the Freedom Trail Tours poster. But I’ve been a stage and screen actor for years. I’ve performed both drama and comedy. I’ve had a growing business as a storyteller serving diverse communities with folk tales fairy tales and personal stories. Every storyteller has a unique style and voice that makes us stand apart from all our colleagues, and we’re all just a touch of the right kind of crazy that makes for some magical entertainment.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am most proud of the theater for social justice I have performed for thousands of students throughout New England. Not long ago I performed for school group and one of the teachers approached us and said he remembered seeing us perform when he was a student. On one hand that made me feel very old. On the other I felt very proud that our work was valuable enough to be shared with another generation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thealanwhite.com
- Phone: 347-618-0541
- Email: awhite@thealanwhite.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiteowls1/?hl=en
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thealanwhite
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ohthatalanwhite
Image Credit:
Tom Gosslin, Scott M. Lacey
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