March 26, 2010

Alumnus earns role in Off-Broadway production

Usman Ally BA ’04 heads to New York City for his first Off-Broadway role.

Usman Ally BA ’04 will perform in an Off-Broadway production at New York City’s Second Stage Theater, which produces contemporary plays based on the work of promising playwrights and actors. Ally majored in theater and sociology/anthropology and went on to earn an MFA at the University of Florida. His cultural heritage is Pakistani and he grew up in Tanzania. As a third culture kid at Lewis & Clark, Ally earned a Dimond Scholarship, a Lewis & Clark program dedicated to international students. On news of his role in the Off Broadway play The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety, Ally blogged about the thrill and anxiety of moving to New York City to act and the challenge of continuing to look for acting parts as a person of color.

“Exciting times lay ahead, indeed we are less than one week away from quite a nice new adventure. Off to NYC we go! I am eagerly anticipating all that NYC has to offer. The future looks exciting and pretty terrifying all at the same time, for who knows what this all holds. More work? Less work? I cringe every time another one is announced and it looks like either all white or all older actor shows. I’m pinning my hopes on Lookingglass…one of the few companies that does real color blind casting in Chicago. My latino and black friends have options, us South Asian/middle eastern types…well its looking like a tough year ahead. So, I am nervous, and it makes me want to take advantage of being in NYC even more. Yes, I am going there to do a show and who knows how long it will run, how well it will do, but regardless. I need to make something happen in NYC…. something huge.”