Cathy Thomas-Grant

Biography

Cathy Thomas-Grant earned her Bachelor's degree at California State University Northridge in 1984 and her Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from The American Conservatory Theatre of San Francisco in 1992. In the past she has served as Chair of the Fine Arts Division (2004-2010) and as Coordinator of the Theatre Program (2000-2010). She teaches Acting I: Introduction to Acting, Acting III: Role Development and directs in the main season.

Professor Thomas-Grant has been Director of the Edinburgh Program since 2000, leading Pepperdine theatre majors to perform in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Edinburgh directing credits include Mr. Happiness/The Water Engine by David Mamet (2002), Eve Ensler's Necessary Targets (2006) Robert Schennkkan's The Kentucky Cycle (2008), Karen Sunde's The Fastest Woman Alive and Naomi Iizuka's Language of Angels (2010) and Musical Direction for The Grapes of Wrath (2004)

Professional directing credits include: Bringin' Home the Girl at Here Space, (New York), The Water Engine/Mr. Happiness for the Ashbury Actors Group (LA), Desdemona, A Play About a Handkerchief for American Inside Theatre (Wisconsin), Scorchers at The Intersection for the Arts (San Francisco). Pepperdine directing Credits include: Hello Dolly, Sweeney Todd, The Seagull (translation by Martin Crimp), Michael Redhill's Goodness, Damn Yankees, All My Sons, The Grapes of Wrath, The Music Man, The Rivals, Fiddler on the Roof, King Lear, Man of La Mancha, The Diviners, Two Rooms, Much Ado About Nothing, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Death of a Salesman.

Some of her professional acting credits include; Weathered, feature short, supporting role (Matt Barber, Matthew Webb directors), The Imaginary Invalid, Judevine, 1918, the premier of Jane Andersons Food and Shelter, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Nagel Jackson's adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities for The American Conservatory Theatre. The Comedy of Errors, A Winter's Tale, MacBeth, and Tartuffe, (American Players Theatre) Steel Magnolias and The Octette Bridgeclub (Actors Co-op of Hollywood).

Professor Thomas-Grant was awarded the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence in 2009, and the Graves Award in 2003.

Education

• 6 week training, Stella Adler Shakespeare Intensive, 1999
• MFA, Acting, The American Conservatory Theatre, 1994
• BA Theatre, California State University, Northridge, 1984