During his studies at the Faculty of Agronomy, he was part of the students' theater group, coordinated by Remus Mărgineanu, obtaining the First Prize in the country with the role of Avram Iancu in the play "Iancu la Hălmagiu" by Paul Everac. The passion for acting will tilt the affective balance in favor of the theater, so he reorients himself and takes the entrance exam at the IATC (graduated in 1978), in the class of Prof. Marin Moraru.

In 1978 he came to Craiova, to the National Theatre, a stage he would serve continuously for 40 years. In his debut, he was Gore in Who's Afraid of the Crocodile?" by Alecu Popovici, directed by Georgeta Tomescu. From his rich artistic repertoire, we mention the roles Mareșal, from the show "Bear's Skin" by Pierre Chesnot, Vișan, from "Hoțul de vulturi", by D. R. Popescu, Burebista, from "Fiul soarelui-Burebista", by Al. Firescu, Asan, from "Greul pămăntului" by Valeriu Anania, Iordache, from "D'ale carnavalului" by I. L. Caragiale, Torcius/Blister from "Cousin Shakespeare" by Marin Sorescu, the last two directed by Mircea Cornişteanu. Unforgettable are the creations of Ion Colan in the roles of Gigel, in Ion Băieșu's "Preșul", Urecheatul, in Theodor Mazilu's "Furniture and Pain". The role of the Romanian, from the play "A treia teăpa" by Marin Sorescu, directed by M. Cornișteanu, is performed with amazing economy of artistic means, with subtle inserts of humor, but also dramatic force.

For the role of Ion Ion, in "Puterea si Adevărul" by Titus Popovici, Ion Colan was crowned with the 3rd Prize at the National Theater Festival in 1987. Ion Colan's collaborations with the director Silviu Purcărete - in the performances "Piticul from the summer garden", "Ubu Rex with scenes from Macbeth", where he gave a shine to the Tsar of Russia, "Titus Andronicus", "Orestia", where the actor makes a noteworthy contribution to the great successes recorded by TNC on all continents of the world. He played in important shows directed by Aureliu Manea (The Ark of Good Hope by Ion D. Sîrbu), Mihai Măniuțiu (Timon of Athens by W. Shakespeare), Cristian Hadji Culea (The Blue Threshold by Ion D. Sîrbu), Bocsárdi László (Năzdrăvanul Occidentului by J. M. Synge), Alexa Visarion (The Cherry Orchard by A. P. Chekhov), Janusz Wisniewski (Apocalypse after Shakespeare).

Among Ion Colan's last appearances on stage, his creation in the role of Jupân Dumitrache in the show "A stormy night" by I. L. Caragiale, directed by the same M. Cornișteanu, remains memorable - where he made a credible artistic tandem with Valentin Mihali (Nae Ipingescu) .

"... and Ion Colan, in the role of the tsar, like a red dragon, passes over the whole play a red terror".

Florica Ichim, Shows of hopelessness, "Literary Romania" February 5, 1991

"In The Prophet, Ion Colan is a decorative sign in the staging, combining ingenuity with cruelty in his play..."

Cristina Dumitrescu, In the abstention zone, "Teatrul azi" No. 2/19, 1990

"During my studies at the Faculty of Agronomy, I was part of a superb student theater troupe, directed by Mr. Remus Mărgineanu. Then I arrived at the Institute of Theatrical Art and Cinematography in Bucharest, in the class of the great actor Marin Moraru. After graduation, I chose the National Theater in Craiova and I did well, because here I found a group of great actors to whom I thank for welcoming me to their side. In fact, I continued the school in Bucharest, because a good quality theater is practiced here thanks to a completely and very special state of mind. At National Craiove we are all friends, at least that's what I think. During the 30 years that I have lived here, I have had joys, but also some failures, but I can say without fear of being wrong that all the characters I have met have become my friends. This is my belief about theater".

Ion Colan, interview by Mirela Marinescu, "Gazeta de sud", January 14, 2008