Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Schueler.
Hi Alan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been doing theatre my whole life. I went to Poway High School then San Diego State. While at SDSU I did a few summers at Startlight Musical Theatre when it was in its heyday. It was there – in my first season – that I met my wife Andrea – in a 1986 production of “Evita”. Andrea lived in NYC and came out to do the summer season and visit parents who had relocated here. A few years later I had gottem my Equity Card and it was time for me to give it a go, so I took the leap and moved to NYC where Andrea lived. I was living in NYC and touring in shows, and during that time we got married in 1991, but the grind of the road was not a lifestyle I enjoyed. I am much more comfortable in one place, so I went into Theatre Management and Directing, and in 1996 moved to San Diego – for me a return home but for her a relocation from the East Coast. In 1997 we moved to North Park and in that same year Andrea started working as a dance instructor for the City of San Diego’s dance program. We have been in our home since that time and love our neighborhood. We have spent so much time in Balboa Park with the dance program it is truly our 2nd home.
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?
The arts are really a career path that is not for the faint of heart, but it is a path that suits me. Without the creativity and immediacy of live performance, our lives would be unfulfilled. We have three kids, our youngest son, who will soon turn 18, is a high school senior. He is an accomplished dancer, but he really likes computers and business so will no doubt go that route. Our middle son, who in 6th Grade was the first “Billy” in San Diego’s first professional “Billy Elliot” before elite ballet took him to NYC is now a Mechanical Engineering major at UCSD and will graduate soon. Our daughter, also a brilliant dancer, got a degree in Chemistry from UCLA. So while my wife and I have managed to forge a career that is arts-related, it does suggest that our choices may have been a bit of a cautionary tale for them… They are all active in the arts, but we are pleased that their career paths may be a little smoother than live theatre and dance might offer.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I write and direct the summer production for the City of San Diego’s acclaimed Civic Dance Arts program, and over the years have had thousands of kids (aged 5 to 18) in my shows. I believe the arts model the values of effort, collaboration, and ultimately the profound importance of honoring your commitment.
My shows are all originals, and as such they become unique expressions of the cast and the moment at hand. I have done shows as diverse as “Escape”, which dealt with the COVID pandemic and its impact on students; “Go Your Own Way”, which dealt with inclusion and acceptance of others and of who you are; to last year’s “Roar”, which looked at literary characters and asked the question “shouldn’t we all be allowed to write our own stories without someone else trying to write it for us?” I am immensely proud of the messages in each and am thrilled that I can be a part of a program that has had such a positive impact on so many San Diego residents.
I also Stage Manage and Tech Direct the performances for the advanced performing companies and pride myself in running a professional backstage environment.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Dealing with other people’s children is inherently risk-taking! I not only have to navigate what is going on in the child’s life – usually school-related, but also be constantly aware of family and family dynamics.
For me, the biggest risk I have taken professionally was a few years ago when I wrote my summer show about a same-sex couple that wanted to go to a school dance together. We have quite a few same-sex families in our program, and I wanted to represent them, and more importantly their children, in a positive and uplifting show.
It was dispiriting when several people would leave at the start of the show because they found the subject matter inappropriate, so they never did get to see for themselves that it was extremely innocent and heartwarming, with an ultimate message that the only way to be happy is to be yourself. However, I did have an interaction with a member of the clergy after one of the performances who told me he was about to walk out but decided to stay and he was so emotional, quite literally sobbing, at the love he felt in the theatre and how grateful he was not only that he stayed but for the message of the piece.
On a macro level for me the only interesting art is new – so I do not gravitate to remakes, I enjoy the risk of trying something new and original. As Martha Graham said “There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://civicdancearts.org
- Instagram: @alanschueler
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alan.schueler?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: @SDCDA
Image Credits
Group is my family. Me at Stage Manager, Me addressing my cast of “Roar” at Civic Dance Arts, Me at December Nights.
