The Performer & Director
Gregory's career in the performing arts began onstage, where he developed a love for bringing characters and stories to life. Over the years, his acting credits have included productions of Doubt, Next to Normal, Falsettos, and Mothers and Sons, among others.
His passion for storytelling eventually led him to direct
The Performer & Director
Gregory's career in the performing arts began onstage, where he developed a love for bringing characters and stories to life. Over the years, his acting credits have included productions of Doubt, Next to Normal, Falsettos, and Mothers and Sons, among others.
His passion for storytelling eventually led him to directing, where he has worked on a wide range of theatrical productions, including The Life, Dessa Rose, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Big River. As a director, he has always been drawn to stories that challenge audiences, explore human relationships, and give performers opportunities to discover something new about themselves.
That creative curiosity also led him into independent filmmaking. Gregory wrote and produced three short films: Mother, Hiding in Daylight, and Reparations, directing both Mother and Reparations. His films have screened at festivals around the world, with Hiding in Daylight and Reparations presented at The American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival.
Whether working onstage, behind the camera, or alongside a cast in rehearsal, Gregory approaches each project with the same belief: compelling storytelling begins with understanding the people at the heart of the story.
The Writer & Storyteller
Gregory's love of writing began long before his first book was published. As a teenager, he was already creating original musicals and discovering the satisfaction of building stories from the ground up. Over time, that creative impulse expanded into novels, children's literature, memoir, screenplays, and personal
The Writer & Storyteller
Gregory's love of writing began long before his first book was published. As a teenager, he was already creating original musicals and discovering the satisfaction of building stories from the ground up. Over time, that creative impulse expanded into novels, children's literature, memoir, screenplays, and personal essays.
His published work spans adult fiction, memoir, and children's literature, frequently exploring family, identity, acceptance, and the complicated relationships that shape people's lives. His books include the novel Well With My Soul and Proud Pants: An Unconventional Memoir. He has also published three LGBTQ novels under the pen name Drake Braxton.
His writing for younger readers includes the Chicken Boy series, featuring a young superhero with autism, along with stories celebrating imagination, individuality, and the performing arts. His books have received recognition from the International Book Awards, New York Book Festival, Readers' Favorite Awards, and MeeGenius Author Challenge.
Beyond his books, Gregory's essays, interviews, and commentary have appeared in publications including The Huffington Post, BroadwayWorld, The Advocate, and Passport Magazine. He continues to share personal observations about creativity, culture, and everyday life through his Substack publication, Gregory's Thoughts.
For Gregory, writing offers another way to explore the human experience, sometimes through imagined characters and sometimes through the stories unfolding around him.
The Arts Leader & Educator
For more than two decades, Gregory has worked behind the scenes to bring the performing arts to communities and audiences. As Managing Director of Westminster Arts Center and later Theater Manager and Department Head of Irvington Theater, he oversaw productions, developed programming, managed creative teams, and
The Arts Leader & Educator
For more than two decades, Gregory has worked behind the scenes to bring the performing arts to communities and audiences. As Managing Director of Westminster Arts Center and later Theater Manager and Department Head of Irvington Theater, he oversaw productions, developed programming, managed creative teams, and helped transform performance spaces into places where artists and audiences could connect.
His work in arts administration included producing festivals and community events and developing programs that made the arts more accessible to diverse audiences. Throughout his career, he has also served as a guest lecturer and mentor at colleges, universities, and arts education programs, sharing his experience in theater, filmmaking, and storytelling.
In recent years, Gregory has brought that experience directly into the classroom. Working with students in theater, speech, drama, and media arts, he has discovered a renewed enthusiasm for helping young performers find their confidence and creative voices. He currently directs the fall theater production at Heritage Middle School in Livingston, New Jersey, while continuing to offer private acting and audition coaching.
For Gregory, education is another opportunity to do what has always mattered most: encourage creativity, build confidence, and help people discover what they're capable of accomplishing.
Professional Biography
Gregory G. Allen is an award-winning author, actor, director, filmmaker, and arts educator with more than 35 years of experience in entertainment and the performing arts. His career spans regional theater, national tours, independent filmmaking, publishing, and arts administration.
He has written and produced three short films, with his work screening at more than 100 film festivals worldwide. Two of his films, Hiding in Daylight and Reparations, screened at The American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival. His work has earned recognition for both directing and screenwriting.
As an author, Allen has published adult fiction, memoir, and children's literature, including the Chicken Boy series. He has also written three LGBTQ novels under the pen name Drake Braxton. His essays and commentary have appeared in publications including The Huffington Post, BroadwayWorld, and Passport Magazine.
After more than two decades in professional theater management and arts leadership, Allen continues to direct, write, and mentor young performers. He currently works in theater and media arts education in New Jersey.
