Alan has always been interested in writing and performing. He acted in school productions while growing up in Montreal, was involved with the Montreal Storytellers Club, and frequently read his short stories at local coffee shops. In 1989, he won third prize in an amateur stand-up comedy competition. After years of successfully touring the Yuk Yuk's Komedy Kabaret circuit, Alan turned to performance through the development of his first production, Still Waiting for That Special Bus. This hilarious show proved a smash hit and got Alan invited all over the world to perform. As a result of this triumph, Alan founded Smashing Stereotypes Productions in 1999 to provide him with a platform for future work. Through performance, Alan treats disability as a political and cultural identity, offering particular vantage points from which to foster new ideas around disability. Alan has shared those ideas, through performance, to more than 1,000 audiences to date.