Alumni Spotlight: Grace Morrison ’13 Lands Role as Emily Webb in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town

The UCSB Department of Theater and Dance is proud of the world-class education and opportunities we work hard to cultivate with and for our students. We are thrilled when we learn about students who take their education and experiences from UCSB out into the world to achieve their dreams.

Grace Morrison graduated from UCSB in 2013 with her BA in Theater Studies. She had a host of interests across theatrical production, and learned how to tackle complex language and heightened text through her theater studies classes working through the classics and Shakespeare. While here at UCSB, Grace performed in the One Acts, Naked Shakes, and in her senior year, she performed in A Streetcar Named Desire as Stella Kowalski. Grace noted that she is still in close contact with her castmates from Streetcar, and the other students she collaborated with on campus.

After graduating from UCSB, Grace went on to earn her MFA in Acting from UC Irvine. Grace shared one of the most prominent takeaways from her time at UCSB: the sense of community. She greatly valued the experience she gained in putting up her own work and collaborating with her peers. This gave her a foundation for her acting, and ultimately led her to pursuing acting full time in Los Angeles.

Grace Morrison recently played Emily Webb in South Coast Repertory Theater’s production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town which ran from May 7 – June 4, 2022. Grace also teaches acting across Los Angeles and works on other theater and film projects.

Pictured: Grace Morrison as Emily Webb in Our Town at South Coast Rep

Photo by: Matt Gush/SCR