ALLISON PISTORIUS

Allison Pistorius joined the faculty of the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance as an Assistant Professor in 2022 and was appointed Head of the BFA Acting program in 2023.

She has worked as a professional actor for over a decade, with a strong passion for regional theatre. Some of her favorite collaborations include playing Marianne in Constellations at TheaterWorks Hartford, performed alongside a live, improvised score at each show; Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Denver Center Theatre Company—a performance that earned her Westword’s award for Best Actress in a Shakespeare Production; and Soccer Mom in the Dallas Theater Center’s production of The Wolves, where her infant triplet daughters napped in her dressing room. She has also performed with the Houston Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Dallas, and numerous other companies. Beyond the stage, Allison plays Ella Starr in the critically acclaimed 1865 podcast from Wondery, narrates historical fiction audiobooks, and frequently appears in national and regional television commercials in various “mom” roles.

In addition to her role at UH, 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 led master classes for the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, the University of North Texas, the Dallas Theater Center, Booker T. Washington HSPVA, and the Dallas Independent School District.

Allison holds a B.A. in Theatre and Dance with a minor in French from the University of Texas and an M.F.A. in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory. At NTC, she trained under renowned director and educator Sabin Epstein, author of Action: A Guide for Actors, as well as Lawrence Hecht, Ashlee Temple, Michael Cobb, and internationally acclaimed aerial dance master Robert Davidson. She completed her comprehensive Pilates instructor certification in 2018 and continues to pursue training in Pilates, anatomy, Shakespeare, Viewpoints, and on-camera acting technique.

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