Christened “Augusta Alexandra Allen-Jones, Omega,” also known as Gus, she has been an actor since the day she could walk.

Her first-grade report card read: “Gussie will make a great actress someday, as her daily lessons seem to be secondary to the plethora of characters she acts out in class.”

Augusta was born and raised in Taos, New Mexico, where she spent the majority of her time surviving daily life in a small town. Always looking for an escape, she acted in local productions starting at age 7. Puck at age 11 solidified her passion for the stage. 

Her parents, two generations older than she, were a painter and a writer immersed in the Taos art scene. With two half sisters and two half-brothers already in tow, she learned early that entertainment was the best medicine for everyone. Plus, it proved to be her ticket out of that one-trick pony town. Taos is great to visit, but growing up there is another story. 

At 16, she fled, with a scholarship in hand, to Albuquerque, where she received her BFA in Acting at the University of New Mexico, and then moved to New York City, where she got her MFA at age 21 from NYU’s Graduate Acting Department.

Having studied with some great teachers along the way - Lou Criss, Robert Hartung, Wolf Mankowitz, John Newland, Zelda Fichandler, Ron Van Lieu and Paul Walker, to name a few - her heart was invested in doing the thing that had always kept her afloat: acting.

She landed her first job at Joseph Papp’s Shakespeare in the Park. She then went on to work at the prestigious Public Theatre in NYC. She also spent time working with Paul Walker and Olympia Dukakis at the Whole Theatre, along with other theaters in NYC.

Her life as an actor came to a standstill in the late 90s. All of which made for an interesting story that will be revealed in her memoir, due out in 2026.

Augusta reignited her career in 2011. Back in Albuquerque, she found that the city was on the verge of becoming a hub for film and TV productions. She has now completed several films and TV shows, and she’s back in business.  

Augusta sustains her passion for Shakespeare as a regular member of the NM Shakespeare Festival.