Mick Hanzlik Award

Miranda Allen is an international variety artist, escapologist, actor, and theatre maker. She appeared on season 7 of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, where Penn Jillette called her escape from a wine barrel “perfect”. She was also nominated for the Sterling Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Lizzie in Pretty Goblins, produced by Workshop West. Miranda has performed in 18 countries, 3 and 1/2 languages, and once, was nearly killed by a kangaroo.

As both a variety artist and theatre maker, much of Miranda’s work explores the marriage of the heroic & fantastic to vulnerability & humanity. For example, her escape from inside a sealed wine barrel filled to the top with red wine explores how extreme risk can be surmounted by trust. Many of her stiltwalking characters are otherworldly beings with incredible abilities who seek compassion from humans to find their way.

As an actor, Miranda’s first love was classical theatre. She holds a BFA in Acting form the University of Windsor and studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School. However, that love has grown to include anything heightened, be that in text, drama, style, physicality, or spectacle. She has expanded her classical roots by studying physical theatre, street performance, magic, clown, and circus. Though much of Miranda’s variety work is uplifting or comedic, in theatre Miranda commonly lives in tragedy. One of her greatest assets is that, though she can be beautiful, she can also take great joy in being ugly and undesirable.

One of Miranda’s greatest delights is travel of any kind.
Outside of that she’ll take a good scotch or a well made coffee.
Also, dogs.