Mrs. Roche has been teaching Speech and Theatre here at Marie Murphy for nine years.   She created the Speech/Theatre curriculum based on speech and theatre texts, best practice in the field, and her own experiences as an actor and public speaker.   She is also the director of the Marie Murphy school play, which takes place at the end of each April.

Mrs. Roche is passionate about acting.   Having been a full-time professional actress for many years before becoming a teacher, she provides unique insight into the business and holds first-hand knowledge and experience in the skills she teaches.   Trained in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, Mrs. Roche has worked with some of the most respected agencies and casting agents in the business.  Wanting to keep her skills sharp, she has added improvisation to her list of specialties, having finished the 18-month training program at iO (improvOlympic) in Chicago, and most recently, she played Honey in Edward Albee's classic, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on stage with the Harper Ensemble Players. Outside of the theatre, Mrs. Roche can be found singing with her church worship band, watching the Chicago Blackhawks, and dyeing her hair every color of the rainbow.

She is thrilled to offer a class that excites and challenges all the children who come through Marie Murphy, and deeply enjoys the 3-year relationship they forge during their time here. Her goal as a teacher is to watch each child grow in their confidence and self-esteem, and hopefully, their performance skills as well!!