Sister Grace Edna Rowland, C.S.J., Ph.D. has maintained a lifelong passion for helping others. Raised by a loving and supportive family who taught her that anything can be achieved with the right amount of hard work and determination, she believed in taking her parents’ words of affirmation and paying them forward.
Whether it’s in the classroom as an associate professor of Communication Studies, or on stage as the director of the Clare Rose Playhouse, Sister Grace seeks to inspire confidence and self-worth within all her students. It is that passion and clearly defined mission that have allowed her to accomplish wonders, leaving a lasting mark on St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY) that will be remembered for generations.
A Flair for the Theatrical
Alongside Sister Grace’s love for guiding young people is her admiration for theater and the arts. From a young age, she possessed a flair for the theatrical, hosting shows in the driveway of her home. This gave way to a musical directing career that would take Sister Grace from the Academy of St. Joseph in Brentwood to Mary Louis Academy in Queens before arriving at SJNY’s Long Island Campus.
(L-R): S. Grace Rowland, Clare Rose and his wife Millie and then College President S. George Aquin O’Connor in front of the Clare Rose Playhouse.
But helping students find their artistic voice was only part of her mission. The students would need a stage. With the help of then-Vice President and Dean Sister Virginia Callahan and successful local businessman Clare Rose, the three would convert a run-down caretaker’s cottage on SJNY’s campus into the Clare Rose Playhouse. Opening in 1985, the 100-seat community theater would serve as a place where students could take center stage as Sister Grace directed them.
And there were more than just acting roles. Students could take part in set design, costuming, sound effects, lighting and all other aspects of the theater experience. By the time the playhouse unveiled its first show in the summer of 1985, Sister Grace had manifested her dreams into reality.
Supporting the Community at Large
Sister Grace’s influence extends beyond her work at the University level. Based on research conducted while working toward her Ph.D., she founded Spotlight on Children, a program dedicated to providing local at-risk children with a safe and supportive environment. With the help of college interns, children participate in afterschool workshops that encourage them to reach their full potential.
The Trip Continues
“The Trip To Bountiful”, produced and directed by S. Grace Rowland, ran from Feb. 21 to March 9 at SJNY.
The Clare Rose Playhouse, now in its 40th season, recently finished its production of Horton Foote’s “The Trip to Bountiful,” with Sister Grace as the director. Based on the 1953 stage play of the same name, the story follows a headstrong woman who will stop at nothing to return to her childhood town of Bountiful, TX.
Sister Grace’s passion matches that of the play’s lead character Carrie Watts, undeterred in her reaching her destination. For Sister Grace, the destination is helping and uplifting others. And while her journey is already decades long, Sister Grace’s trip is far from finished.
S. Grace Rowland has directed staged productions held in the Clare Rose Playhouse for over 30 years.
The Trip To Bountiful is an adaption of an American classic.
Despite their small cast and stage, each SJNY production involves the hard work of dozens of students.
