Allen Oliver

Allen Oliver is an actor, dancer and musician with an exemplary five-decade career in classical and modern theater.  Starting in the 1970’s, he performed in Boston with the Boston Black Folks Theater, Boston Shakespeare Company and TheatreWorks.  His revelatory performance as Buddy Bolden in the TheatreWorks world premiere of Michael Ondaatje’s searing novel about the creation of jazz in New Orleans at the turn of the 20^th century, Coming Through Slaughter, won him best performance of the year awards from critics. Combining his gifts in acting, music and dance he fashioned a performance of the unrecorded trumpet genius by physicalizing what the music felt like to the character and the audience.  As an actor, Oliver is a spirited collaborator who listens carefully and then initiates choices that take a project further.  He went on to perform with the outstanding acting company Trinity Repertory in Providence for a decade. Other companies with whom he performed a great variety of roles are Merrimack Repertory in Lowell, MA, Idaho Shakespeare in Boise, ID and Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, CA, among others.  As a dancer, he performed with the George Howard Dance Company in Boston and he currently enjoys playing harmonica and singing the blues in gigs with fellow musicians. 

This bio/description was originally published in 2022. For more current information, please refer to the award recipient's website (if provided).