In 1994 Alan O'Silva said a joke to a girl in the city-centre of his small mountain home-town bordering Transylvania. The girl took his hand and presented him to the local youth theatre Ariel, ran by his future mentor Geny Migleczi.

He was on stage in the same night on the theatre's evening performance. One month later, he booked a lead part in a huge Greek tragedy called 'The Danaides' after Aeschylus, directed by the multi-awarded Silviu Purcarete. The show toured the world for three and a half years, collecting many awards at the biggest theatre festivals such as Edinburgh International Festival in UK or Lincoln Center Festival in New York.