A Letter from our Artistic Director...
Welcome to LAUNCH PAD!
Thank you to those who came out to see the Preview Production of STANDING STILL by acclaimed playwright Melinda Lopez and co-commissioned by Merrimack Repertory Theatre!
We are excited to announce our new partnership with the Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) in downtown Santa Barbara for our Summer Reading Series. We are hosting Megan Tabaque and Julia Izumi for a week-long workshop on their new plays culminating in readings at the New Vic on Thursday, August 27 at 4pm and 8pm. Be sure to join us!
If you have any questions about LAUNCH PAD, please reach out to us at LAUNCHPAD@theaterdance.ucsb
You can subscribe to our mailing list by clicking this LINK.
All my best,
Risa
Upcoming Events...
2026 Amplify Reading Series Festival
TWO DAYS | FOUR PLAYS
PLEASE SAVE THE DATES!
Friday / Saturday
November 20-21
2025 Amplify Reading Series Festival Company
In The News...
LAUNCH PAD partners with Ensemble Theatre Company
for the 2026 Summer Reading Series
"I have always wanted our program to be a bridge to the professional
world," said LAUNCH PAD Artistic Director Risa Brainin. "And the opportunity
to share our workd with the downtown audience has long been a dream of mine."
LAUNCH PAD: Nurturing Empathy Through Theatre
Monica Lenches interviews Risa Brainin
(click here for the interview)
"...[my friend] Wendy invited me to experience the brilliant work of Risa Brainin
and her UCSB students. Each time, I was moved not just by the talent of these
students, but by their kindness, respect, and emotional maturity..."
Gabriella Roberts receives the 2026 Shirley Jo Finney Excellence Award
Our dear friend and colleague, Shirley Jo Finney, passed away on October 10, 2023. Shirley Jo was a bright light in our lives. She first came to direct for the Department of Theater and Dance in 2014. Over the next eight years, she returned several times to teach and direct. Her final project with us was the LAUNCH PAD Preview Production of Candrice Jones' A Medusa Thread. Shirley Jo was a wonderful teacher and gifted director. She brought out the best in absolutely everyone and had an unwavering commitment to nurturing young talent. We’re proud that her legacy lives on in the Shirley Jo Finney Excellence Award honoring a deserving acting or directing student who exemplifies Shirley Jo’s joyous spirit, generosity, and artistic excellence.
This year's recipient is Gabriella Roberts, a senior in the UCSB BFA Acting Program who embodies Shirley Jo's valued qualities both on and off the stage. Gabi's performance credits with the Department of Theater and Dance include Antonio in The Tempest with Naked Shakes, Lillian in Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, Elizabeth in LAUNCH PAD's The Crossing Party, and Clover in Animal Farm. Gabi will also be appearing as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet with Nakes Shakes, summer 2026.
Photos:
Shirley Jo Finney in rehearsal for The White Card at UCSB.
Gabriella Roberts.
Read about the 2025 LAUNCH PAD Amplify Reading Series Festival
The Current, April 23, 2025 / Article by Shelly Leach
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and exclusive licensing of
LAUNCH PAD’s Alone, Together Festival
of short plays and monologues!
If you are interested in licensing the Alone, Together compilation,
please contact CustomerService@dpcplays.com or visit their website.
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