Allison McGuire

The Shadow of Success is a one-woman play written by and starring McGuire Method Founder Allison McGuire. Told through vignettes stemming from Allison’s life growing up in Hollywood, transitioning into politics, and winding up as an entrepreneur, The Shadow of Success pulls back the curtain on modern day “hustle” culture, revealing the drive to persevere in the face of adversity, trauma, and mental health struggles.

Content Warnings: This content includes frequent strong language, infrequent or mild references to sexual assault, occasional mild depictions of drug use, infrequent mild references to violence and suicide, mild references to grief and loss, occasional mentions of suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety, as well as themes of family trauma and substance abuse.

Allison McGuire is the creator of the McGuire Method, applying acting techniques to real life communication skills. She’s worked as a communications professional — from actress to politico to entrepreneur— for over two decades. Her mission is to build confidence in as many people as she can while she walks this earth. As an actress, she’s performed across the US, including co-writing a show on women’s stories of survival—from a 5-year-old girl with a broken arm to survivors of the Holocaust and Rwandan genocide—and a piece on women’s relationship to their bodies. Theatrical credits include the Pasadena Playhouse and Fremont Center Theatre in Los Angeles, Piven Theatre in Chicago, and Huntington Theatre in Boston. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and Political Science from top acting conservatory program, Boston University.

Formerly, Allison was a tech entrepreneur and politico, working in national security and human rights advocacy for both the US House of Representatives, as a Senior Democratic Fellow under the House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ Human Rights Commission, where she handled the women’s portfolio, organizing Congressional hearings and vetting witnesses on issues such as violence against women, human trafficking, and forced child marriage. She also worked in the UK Parliament, serving as an assistant to a female Member of Parliament focused on immigration. Allison has delivered keynote speeches, guest lectured, and presented across the world, including at China’s Global Business Innovation Summit, SXSW, Plug & Play, BMW iVentures, NYU, UCLA, USC, Columbia University, and Pharrell’s From One Hand to Another.