GRACE AUSTIN
THEATRE DIRECTOR
Directorial Philosophy
'To me, any theatrical job starts with text research. Immersing yourself into the world of the play provides a solid foundation for collaborating with the actors and designers in the production process. Once you move into rehearsals, communication, questioning and leadership come to the forefront.
Directing a show is leading a group of people into the sometimes unknown- you don't need to have 100% of the answers, but you do need to be ready to support your team as you work to build the show's foundation. Providing a launching pad for character creation and a strong guiding hand for actors as they explore their theatrical options is the bedrock of my directing philosophy.'
Grace Austin is an educational/freelance director whose work on both plays and musicals has earned her acclaim. After finishing her BFA in Directing at Texas State, Grace joined the MFA Directing class at Virginia Commonwealth University, working locally at both Barksdale Theatre in their Boogie Nights series as well as Assistant Directing for Benny Sato Ambush at TheatreVirginia. In her final semester, Grace was awarded the prestigious VCU Thesis/Dissertation fellowship for her work on Lee Blessing's Two Rooms.
After graduation, Grace joined the Theatre and Communications faculty at East Central College, where she assumed the Theatre Executive position in 2015. She teaches Acting I and II, Directing I and II, Public Speaking, Oral Communications, Theatre Appreciation and she produces and directs a student acting and directing showcase each semester for public viewing.
Outside of ECC, Grace teaches audition technique, acting the song, monolouge and scene study workshops for local educational institutions and COCA.
In addition to her directing work, Grace also works in Wardrobe for the MUNY, the Fox, OTSL and Variety Children's Theatre.
She is a proud member of IATSE Local 805.