The Department of Theater and Dance is proud to announce that Gabriella Roberts has been selected as the recipient of 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 community, first joining the Department of Theater and Dance in 2014 as a guest director. Over the following eight years, she returned multiple times to teach, mentor, and direct, leaving a profound impact on our students and faculty. Her final project with the department was the LAUNCH PAD Preview Production of Candrice Jones' A Medusa Thread.
A gifted director, inspiring teacher, and generous mentor, Shirley Jo had a remarkable ability to bring out the very best in everyone she worked with. Those fortunate enough to know her continue to cherish her extraordinary spirit and lasting influence. We are honored to celebrate her legacy through the Shirley Jo Finney Excellence Award, which recognizes an outstanding acting or directing student who embodies Shirley Jo's creativity, generosity, passion, and joyful spirit.
This year's recipient, Gabriella Roberts, exemplifies those qualities both on and off the stage. Gabriella will enter her senior year in the UCSB BFA Acting Program this fall. Her performance credits with the Department of Theater and Dance include Antonio in The Tempest with Naked Shakes, Lillian in Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, Elizabeth in The Crossing Party as part of the LAUNCH PAD Reading Series, and Clover in Animal Farm. She most recently appeared in Daniel Stein's Particle Collider and previously portrayed Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Prague Shakespeare Company. This summer, Gabriella will take on the role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet with Naked Shakes.
Congratulations to Gabriella Roberts on this well-deserved honor. We are proud to recognize her exceptional talent, dedication, and artistry as she carries forward the legacy of Shirley Jo Finney.