Beloved Pasadena Teacher Tom Allard Shares Stories in Two Burbank Performances

Campfire Storyteller Tom Allard brings his Geezerpalooza to Victory Theatre Center (Photo – Jennifer Godwin-Minto)

Retired from his career as a Pasadena Polytechnic performing arts teacher but still telling stories, Tom Allard has long been a local legend. For two special performances, Burbank’s Victory Theatre Center shines a spotlight on his distinctive style of old-fashioned storytelling infused with Native perspectives.

By Melanie Hooks

Allard’s self-titled Geezerpalooza: A Night in Concert will feature seven long-form stories on Wednesday, July 29, at 7:30 pm and Saturday, August 8, at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $15.

Described as “50 years of hustle, heart, and hard-won wisdom,” Allard’s stories draw on his Native heritage while exploring themes that resonate across the broader human experience.

Upon retiring after 23 years of teaching, Allard described his art form: “It’s an irreducible theatre. An elder sharing the power of ‘we’ and where we’ve been. It’s ancient.”*

Now, he says, “Storytelling is a human birthright.” And what better way to celebrate 250 years of American campfires than by listening to stories that have been passed down around them for generations?

Tickets are available through the Victory Theatre Center website.

Quote from The Paw Print (June 7, 2024), “Tom Allard Retires After 23 Years at Poly,” by Anastasia Arrieta and Sofia Flores-Castro.