Alumni Spotlight: Marce Walsh '90

The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.

Marce Walsh '90 is an educator, writer and voice-over actress living in Houston, Texas. After completing her undergraduate work at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, she went directly to Columbia University's School of the Arts to study dramaturgy. After receiving her MFA, she moved to Los Angeles, CA where she began teaching theatre. After 10 years of teaching and working with the California Angels Baseball team and Disneyland, she moved back to her hometown to continue teaching. She recently published a children's book about a therapy dog And Then There's Charlie...The Adventures of Charlie the Chocolate Lab. Portions of the proceeds from the book's sales benefit animal charities.



Was there a specific faculty member or peer who especially inspired you while at the School of the Arts? If so, who and how?

Howard Stein is and will always be the first name that pops into my head when I am asked this question. He was a ball of fire that carried me throughout the program and kept me going. I will never forget his personal phone call to me to tell me I was accepted into the dramaturgy program and how wonderful he thought my writing samples were. He was always there for me and I thoroughly enjoyed his courses, his advice, and his mentoring. What an amazing personality and endless energy for those he taught.

How did attending the School of the Arts impact your work and career as an artist?

Just mentioning the fact that I studied at Columbia University School of the Arts and watching potential employers' faces when they read that on my resume, says enough. Having an MFA from such a prestigious school most definitely got me ALL my jobs! Not my undergraduate theatre degree, nor my many unpaid internships had a hand in my career...only CU SOA made the difference!

If you could revisit any piece you created during your time at the School of the Arts, which would it be? Why?

Although I was in the dramaturgy program, I loved acting, so many of the director's would cast me in their performances. I would love to perform my role in Brecht's Mother Courage again. That particular piece was one of the most challenging and enjoyable roles I've ever played.  

What was your favorite or most memorable class while at the School of the Arts?

That's easy. Howard Stein's dramaturgy and critical writing class. There was only one other dramaturgy student, so it was usually just the two of us with Howard. To sit and talk about plays and how to share our feelings about them in Howard's huge, dusty, playbill-filled office in Dodge Hall! How much luckier could we get?!