We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Allyson Lee Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Allyson, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Being resilient is such a difficult task. I am at the point in my life where I’m tired of being resilient and strong. And I think it’s okay to feel that way. So often, Black women are celebrated for how well we carry the weight of the world. We’ve seen our grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and beyond, be resilient time and time again. It’s generational. I desire the space to break open, to be fragile, to lean into vulnerability, and to ask for help. My resilience comes from years of trusting that God will go before me in any and every situation. It comes from watching the women in my life make a way for themselves and for me. It comes from my will to live a full and fruitful life and to break any generational curses that may hinder that. I’m always working with God to be my best self, despite what I may go through, and that encourages me to keep going daily.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Being an artist is one of the most rewarding gifts of my life. I love the invigorating feeling of being on stage, the thrill of getting my ideas out of my head and onto the page, helping young artists find their voices by allowing them the creative freedom to tell their stories, and hearing “ACTION,” as I’m preparing to delve deep into my character on set. Those are the moments that exhilarate me!
Since receiving my MFA in Acting from the University of Washington in 2019, I have been working professionally as an actor, teaching artist and coach in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. There are so many things that I have done that I am proud of, but one of them is premiering my one woman show, “SBW 365: The Myth and the Mule,” with Sound Theatre’s Making Waves Fall Festival, in 2021. The first version of the show was conceived in 2018, and during the pandemic, I was lead to revisit and extend it to premiere it with my artist community. My work touches on the stereotype that is the “Strong Black Woman,” and how this label greatly affects Black women, our existence, and the ways in which we are expected to navigate the world.
It is my goal to expand my one woman show and premiere it in LA, this year. I am seeking assistance with the production and would love to work with creatives who are interested in being a part of that process.
My passion also includes sharing my knowledge of crafting solo works with the youth and continuing to build their creative confidence. I was the co-creator of “Black is the Light” at Seattle Rep Theatre, where BIPOC youth participated in various workshops and performances that included storytelling, music-making, self-reflection, and breath, voice and movement. As a part of the Youth Works Festival, I assisted with the direction of a student work and helped one of my scholars to premiere her 10 minute solo show. I desire to continue fostering an environment where BIPOC youth can bring their words from the page to the stage, with fully realized, 10 minute solo works. I am looking to gather a team of artists who would like to work with the youth to make this vision come to life.
I pray that you all see more of Allyson Lee Brown, as I continue to lean more into my anointing and life’s work. I feel truly blessed to be allowed the opportunity to grow as a person and artist, and I pray to continue to surround myself with like-minded creatives and those who are passionate about the arts!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Narrowing it down to three is so hard lol. This industry and the journey that it takes to thrive within it can be daunting. When I was in grad school at the University of Washington, it forced me to do a lot of self-reflection. I learned so many things, but three of the most valuable lessons I hold close, are to always bet on myself, to feel the fear and do it anyway, and to know that I am worthy of being in any room or opportunity that God places me in. These are things I’m still actively practicing on knowing, but they have shifted my perspective in a tremendous way. Imposter syndrome will convince you that you can’t do the things that God anointed you to do, and it’s so easy to talk yourself out of a blessing. But what’s for you, will always be for you, if you believe that you’ll receive that blessing. My advice to other creatives is to always bet on yourself, no matter what! That wild idea that you have? Make it happen! Now is not the time to wait on others to create opportunities for you to thrive. Don’t wait for a seat at the table, build your own table and chairs, honey! God will do the rest!
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I’m learning to view my “obstacles,” as lessons that push me towards growth. I currently am facing the lesson of prioritizing my time and making time to live fully in my creativity. So often, we get caught up in working our 9 to 5’s to make ends meet and we begin to neglect our passions and anointing. I’m working on returning back to myself and the things that fuel me and give me a greater sense of purpose. I love to write, to work with other actors on the craft, to be in creative spaces, to read new works, etc. I want to continue to find time, daily, to dedicate to my gifts. It’s so easy to begin to feel lost, and I’m striving daily to stay motivated and excited about what my next steps in my career are. I am trusting God through it all and remaining faithful that, as long as I don’t give up on myself, everything God has promised me, is attainable.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @allysonleeb
- Facebook: Allyson Lee Brown`
- Other: CSA/ IMDBPro Actor of the Month https://www.castingsociety.com/media/actor-of-the-month/allyson-lee-brown
https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/theater/making-waves-fall-arts-festival-showcases-seattle-artists-experimental-and-developmental-work/
https://www.mopop.org/about-mopop/the-mopop-blog/posts/2019/may/the-authentic-self-with-allyson-lee-brown/
Image Credits
Chris Jon Photography Mark Kitaoka and Tracy Martin
