Allison Pistorius

Assistant Professor, Acting

Allison Pistorius joined the faculty of the UH School of Theatre and Dance as Assistant Professor in 2022 and was appointed the Head of BFA Acting in 2023. 

 

She has spent over a decade as a professional actor with a passion for regional theatre.  Some of her favorite collaborations include playing Marianne in TheaterWorks Hartford’s production of Constellations in conversation with a live, improvised score at each performance; Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Denver Center Theatre Company, for which she was awarded Westword’s Best Actress in a Shakespeare Production; and Soccer Mom in the Dallas Theater Center’s production of The Wolves while her infant triplet daughters napped in her dressing room.  She has also performed with the Houston Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Dallas, and many other companies.  In addition to her theatrical credits, Allison plays Ella Starr in the critically lauded 1865 podcast from Wondery, narrates historical fiction audiobooks, and can be seen playing various versions of “mom” in national and regional television commercials.

 

In addition to the University of Houston, Allison has taught Acting and Theatre at Southern Methodist University, the University of North Texas, Texas Christian University, and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.  She has given master classes for the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, the University of North Texas, the Dallas Theater Center, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and the Dallas Independent School District. 

 

Allison earned her BA in Theatre and Dance with a minor in French from the University of Texas, and her MFA in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory.  At the NTC, she studied with acclaimed director and instructor Sabin Epstein, author of Action: A Guide for Actors, as well as Lawrence Hecht, Ashlee Temple, Michael Cobb, and internationally recognized aerial dance master Robert Davidson.  She completed her comprehensive Pilates instructor training in 2018 and continues to take every opportunity to study Pilates, Anatomy, Shakespeare, Viewpoints, and On-Camera Acting Technique.

 

Allison is a member of Actor’s Equity Association and is represented by the Mary Collins Agency.