Born and raised in the Oakland, CA Alana attended Occidental College where she received honors and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Theater. She is an active member of the LA theater community as both an actor and director. In 2011 she was nominated for an Ovation Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play for the Echo Theater Company's production of Everything Will Be Different. Her 2016 production of Dry Land won the Ovation for Best Production (Intimate Theater) and was subsequently remounted at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of their inaugural Block Party Program. The remount received seven Ovation nominations including Best Director and Best Production (Large Theater). Her 2019 production of The Wolves won the LA Drama Critic's Circle award for Ensemble and received Ovation Nominations for Production, Direction and Ensemble as well as Stage Raw Nominations for Director, Production, Ensemble and Supporting Female Performance.