Columbus Makes Art Presents Tony White on Acting, Dancing and Choreography

“my art is a constant mix of my talents. Most of the time when I create my most memorable work, I don’t even realize it’s happening until I present it.”

— Tony White, Actor

Tony White first worked with Evolution Theatre Company when he appeared in the world premiere of Traveling by Kenneth Talbot. While playing the role of the imaginary muse to the lead character, he danced his original choreography to critical acclaim. He will soon be performing in Evolution Theatre Company’s area premiere of Birds of a Feather by Marc Acito, as a penguin, June 23 – July 2 at The Abbey Theatre of Dublin. We talked with Tony White about theater, acting, dancing and life.

Mark: Tony, briefly describe your art and your creative process.
Tony: My art, I feel, like many other artists, is an amalgamation of my life experience inside and outside of the artistic world – which is a bit of a living contradiction, personally. I had a very diverse upbringing socially, culturally, spiritually and economically. Similarly, my art is a constant mix of my talents, residing somewhere between dance, theater, film, writing and music, that often speaks to my lived experience as a black bisexual Christian man from the Midwest.

My art often speaks to political and cultural issues such as race, sexuality, socio-economic disparity and more. My process – I can’t say I’m beholden to a singular process. It truly depends on the project, the role and where I am in my training. Most of the time when I create my most memorable work, I don’t even realize it’s happening until I present it.

Mark: Tony, you are a choreographer, a dancer, and an actor. How do you refine and expand your artistic process?
Tony: With each form of art I pursue I am constantly training. I am a recent college graduate, and I am always trying to stay in classes and actively perform. I like to think I am nowhere near the peak of my ability, and I want to strive to improve. Furthermore, I believe in immersing myself in all forms of art to consciously and subconsciously inform my work.

Mark: How long have you been acting, and what is the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself along the way?
Tony: I have been actively creating art since I was 12 years old. I started exploring myself as an artist at Stivers School for the Arts in seventh grade and never stopped. Through art I believe the most important thing I have learned so far is that life is full of “yes… ands.” Most things are not black and white. Most things in life exist somewhere in between. That’s frustrating, but it’s okay.

Mark: What production, performance or role are you most proud of? Whether it be in dancing or acting or both?
Tony: This is always very hard, but I think playing Carl Henry Carlson and Sister Boom-Boom in Execution of Justice at The Ohio State University. To this day, I think some people don’t realize that one person (me) played both roles. They’re actually people who know me, who don’t realize I was in the play – I LOVE THAT! I must say though it is a tie with my play A Walk Through June: A dancial in one act. I wrote, directed, choreographed and starred in a one act play (dancial) about my first heartbreak.

Mark: What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Tony: I don’t know if this qualifies as advice, but I started telling people I wanted to be an actor as a young child. One day after school someone said, “Oh, you’re going to be the next Denzel Washington,” which is what they say to every little black boy who wants to act. Then the youth pastor, Pastor Matt, said, “No, he’s going to be the first Tony White.” That statement has stuck with me. I never wanted to be anyone else.

Mark: What’s the best advice you feel you can give?
Tony: I’ll respond in a mix of quotes I live by and a truth I have found. “To love God, yourself and others.” To find your truth and walk in it. That is not always easy. Meanwhile, “enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going.”

Mark: What’s the best thing about the Columbus art scene right now?
Tony: I would honestly have to say some of my friends and a lot of the young artists hungry to create and give back to their community simultaneously. I see some of the art they are creating in dance, theater, film and more that is simply blowing me away. I think there is an opportunity for people of the older and younger generation to really come together here to mentor one another and support one another. I’d love to see that!

Catch Tony with Evolution Theatre Company in Birds of a Feather (June 23 – July 2 at The Abbey Theatre of Dublin), the area premiere based on the true story of Roy and Silo, the two penguins at the Central Park Zoo that made history. Full show information is available at evolutiontheatre.org.

Columbus Makes Art Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting and advancing the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. The column is a project of the Art Makes Columbus campaign, telling the inspiring stories of the people and organizations who create Columbus art. Learn more about local artists, organizations, public art and events at ColumbusMakesArt.com.