Today we’d like to introduce you to Alice Manning
Hi Alice, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I taught acting at Harvard after graduating from the American Theatre Repertory Institute. I was in the very first class and it changed my life. I had the opportunity to work with groundbreaking directors like, Anne Bogart, Richard Foreman, David Wheeler, Tina Landeau, Andre Serban, Liviu Ciulei, David Herskovitz, and Slobodan Unkovski.
Soon after, I met my husband (now “wasband” :)) moved to California, had 2 girls, then twin boys. One of the boys contracted bacteria from the hospital (at two weeks old) and had a massive stroke. As a result, he has cerebral palsy, paralysis, cognitive impairment and a seizure disorder. (Despite all his struggles, he manages to be pure love.) I found that I was only able to audition for commercials, because during the day, I was caring for Aidan and advocating for him, as well as the other 3 kids.
To keep my creative aspirations alive, I started writing at night. I didn’t have the bandwidth to be auditioning for shows, so I trained with Mark Travis (https://tifi.us) and started writing autobiographical solo shows with the intention of healing myself and (perhaps) the audience.
I’ve been creating my own shows for over 25 years, and it’s been incredibly fulfilling for me. I am very driven to learn psychology (I find it essential as an actor) and spirituality, as I try to make sense of this world we’re in. My own childhood trauma, and the trauma with my son, motivated me to seek out every kind of healing. I completed a master’s degree in spiritual psychology, 28 years of therapy, and one of my most joy-filled endeavors has been volunteering in prison for 16 years. I am a facilitator of large workshops in 9 prisons in California (where we counsel inmates) with a nonprofit called Freedom to Choose (freedomtochooseproject.org). The unique and most powerful aspect of it is, they also counsel us! I’ve had better counseling in prison than in all my years in therapy. It is because incarcerated participants have a very deep (generational, experiential) understanding of tragedy, pain, and therefore, an ability to empathize. It has been extraordinarily transformative for me, and our work has helped to reduce the recidivism rate in several California prisons. The mission of Freedom to Choose is based on the work of Victor Frankl. He was an Austrian psychiatrist who wrote Man’s Search for Meaning about his experience in a German concentration camp. He discovered that the people who survived the best in the concentration camps during the holocaust were the ones who did not allow their outer circumstances to disrupt their inner peace. What better place to practice this than in prison? Many of the inmates we’ve worked with have truly transformed from the inside out, and by the time they leave prison, are ready to hit the ground running-giving back to society as leaders. In fact, we have several previously incarcerated people employed with Freedom to choose right now.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a challenging road for me as I experienced several sexual assaults starting when I was 10 years old, I was sexually assaulted by an industry person in my early 20s (in NYC) and it affected the whole trajectory of my career. I buried the memory. It wasn’t until the “Me Too” movement (when the memory re-surfaced) that I realized how that event hampered my forward movement. I was internally paralyzed for years.
Now I am in the happiest, most peaceful place I’ve ever been. I believe it’s because, despite the obstacles, I’ve never given up on my creative dreams. I’ve persevered by creating my own work. I love learning. I am an eternal student, and I’ve found a thriving acting community at Krater Studios. (https://www.kraterstudios.com). Creating a life that includes service is also paramount to me.
I have finally surrendered to the idea that my life is one creative, pivot to another. I am constantly pivoting from making calls on behalf of my son to get him proper healthcare, disability programs (everything he deserves as a disabled person) to pursuing my career.
Every moment I can, I focus on my creativity-painting, writing, acting, producing my shows and pursuing TV and film. (Representation: https://jttalent.com)
I have found a way to combine my vast life experience with my art. I have created several autobiographical shows that can be used as educational tools by different organizations in healthcare, mental health, and prison health. (Alicemanning.com)
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m incredibly excited right now because I feel that all the inner and outer work I’ve done is coming together. My creative life is expanding.
I’m performing my newest seriocomic solo show, “Manning’s Madhouse,” in the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival on March 30th (https://lawtf.org)
and performing in the Whitefire Solo Festival on April 12th. (https://www.alicemanning.com/shows)
My mission in everything I do is to “look inside the soul.” I do this through my paintings, through all the characters I embody in my solo shows, through my writing, my work in prison, and even in advocating for my disabled son. I know the more I look into the soul, the more beauty I see, the more peace I feel, and the more I experience the oneness of humanity.
Representation: https://jttalent.com
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’ve had several amazing mentors, beginning with Sr. Karla, my first director in High School. She was brilliant and tough, and taught me how to work as a professional. Bill Graham, Sr., was the head of the Theatre Department at Catholic University, where I earned a BFA in theatre. His greatest line was, “Give yourself permission.” Because of his direction, I really gave myself the opportunity to risk failure and give it my all..
During college, I took a year off to travel the United States and Canada with The National Players. We did everything ourselves. I drove the truck, hung lights, did other tech, and acted. I learned how to be a team player and the value of ensemble. I met a terrific director (Jim Petosa) who got me my apartment in Jersey City and years later brought one of my show to his theatre outside of Boston.
Pierre Epstein and Mary Hamill were great teachers and mentors when I was in NYC. They created a small family of actors where I felt loved and supported.
When I attended The American Repertory Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard, Bob Brustein and the Repertory company of wonderful actors were all mentors and teachers for me.
When I moved to Los Angeles, I met Carl and Estelle Reiner. They came to my shows, and were both incredibly supportive of everything I did. (Carl even put my picture in his book, Now I’m 84.) I sang backup for the brilliant Annie Reiner for several years (with another great talent, Judy Nagy). We would hang out with Carl and Mel after the shows – I am so grateful for the fun we had, the food, and the hilarious conversations. Great memories!
When I started writing, I learned about Mark Travis, who has been a wonderful solo show teacher and mentor. (https://tifi.us) I felt like I was a part of another wonderfully creative community and I am still learning from him.
I love taking classes, as I feel there is always more to learn. My recent wonderful writing teachers are Bella Mahaya Carter (https://www.bellamahayacarter.com) and Robin Finn (https://www.robinfinn.com/heart-soul-pen/). They both taught me to write fearlessly .
During the pandemic, I started studying with a teacher in France, Jill Douglas (https://www.thetravellingpainter.com) through the Brentwood Art Center (http://brentwoodart.org). Jill has taught me so much about painting and color, and is the reason I have been a prolific painter over the past 5 years.
Bonnie and David Paul, the founders of the Freedom to Choose Prison Project, have mentored me for 18 years, and taught me many, many skills through their curriculum that we use in prison. (https://freedomtochooseproject.org). Their work has transformed me (and many others) from the inside out. I am now facilitating large workshops in prison and hope to do it all over the world. The community of volunteers and the participants in prison are family to me.
As I’m talking about this, I’m realizing how blessed I’ve been to always find communities where I learn and grow (and feel safe).
Marisa Putt (who has been my son’s aid for 17 years) is up there in icon status. I call her “Mother Marisa.” She has loved him, advocated for him, kept him safe (and consistently engaged in learning).
Kim Israel, the owner of “The First School,” (pre-school) helped our family through very hard times with fundraisers and scholarships. Another amazing community of generous souls.
The Venice Family Clinic also took care of my whole family after my son’s stroke, when we lost our healthcare. What a great organization.
I consider my four children and all of my friends to be mentors because I learn from them and we are cheerleaders for each other.
My original and greatest mentors were my parents, who loved learning, loved the arts, and taught me (over and over) how to make lemonade out of lemons.
They taught me how to work efficiently, and work as a team. (I HAD to be a team player with eight siblings!)
But most importantly, my parents instilled in me the importance of empathy, and service to others, which has brought me immeasurable joy.
That alone was worth all the hard stuff growing up.
Prison photos courtesy of the FreedomtoChoose Project.org
Acting photo courtesy of Travis Tanner Photography (https://www.travistannerphotography.com)
Film picture courtesy of Krater Studios (https://www.kraterstudios.com). Make-up by Victoria Righthand (https://www.victoriarighthand.com)
Alice’s Representation: https://jttalent.com
Contact Info:
- Website: alicemanning.com, freedomtochooseproject.org
- Instagram: Alice.manning3, The Freedom to Choose Project
