Giving Back

Marianne is one of the UCLA Theater Department's most loyal and engaged donors. The Marianne Murphy Women & Philanthropy Play Reading Series offers student playwrights an opportunity to see and hear their work performed. The series supports the creation of new theatrical works that explore the contributions of women to society. Established in 2002, the series has become one of the highlights of UCLA's theater program, providing first exposure to an audience and a stepping-stone to the world of professional production. Click HERE to read the article.

Marianne feels that teaching enriches her acting career. She considers being able to touch lives in an audience or a class room to be a great privilege. She taught speech, communication arts and theatre courses at such institutions as Cornell, Rutgers and Montclair State University. Marianne has also created and taught corporate courses to enhance executive business communication skills for companies including AT&T and Hallmark. Her most recent teaching experience was at Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan, where she taught classes as well as directed an original play The Unforgiven by a young Pakistani playwright and classics such as The Importance of Being Earnest, The Zoo Story, The Bald Soprano and others. Click HERE to see the Pakistan video.