Story & Lesson Highlights with Frances McGarry PhD of NYC

Frances McGarry PhD shared her story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Frances, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’ve been through revisions before both as a doctoral degree and writing assignments; however, publishing my manuscript on the Young Playwrights Festival has been a challenge that I’ve embraced. Fear is not the answer. Moving forward IS!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Frances McGarry.
Radiating with personality and charisma, I am a professional actress, author, arts advocate and theater educator with a PhD in Educational Theatre from NYU. Based in New York City, my passion for the arts fuels my mission to communicate important messages, shift cultural perspectives, and make a mark in the lives of students, audiences, and filmmakers around the world. Over the last decade, I’ve starred in TV, films, theatre, voiceovers, and national commercials, including my most recent co-star role in the Hallmark movie One Royal Holiday. In 2018, I launched First Online With Fran a podcast featuring ordinary people doing extraordinary things in The Arts. Currently, I am working on a book as an extension of my commitment to the legacy of Stephen Sondheim’s Young Playwrights Festival and its Artistic Director, Sheri M. Goldhirsch.

Podcast host Frances McGarry shines a spotlight on the transformative power of the arts in our culture. Since its launch in 2018, First Online with Fran has produced over 100 episodes, sharing authentic stories from creatives whose work inspires, heals, and uplifts. In 2023, the podcast was recognized by Amazon Podcasts as one of the best in the Arts category and surpassed 47,000 downloads. Blubrry awarded it the “Countries Reached (50)” badge, marking its international impact. Based in New York, Fran brings charisma, curiosity, and deep passion to every conversation—amplifying voices that deserve to be heard and championing the power of artistic expression to spark change.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My high school English teachers. I was brought up by parents who told me “Children should be seen and not heard.” Fortunately, I had teachers who presented challenges that I never would have experienced had it not been for them. They served as the impetus for me to pursue a degree in educational theater.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The imposter syndrome. The feeling that I’ll be “found out”. That I’m not REALLY as smart and talented as I seem. Ha! that never held me back. Though it percolates to the top when I’m feeling like a failure, I have learned to “surround myself with people whose eyes light up when I enter the room.” (Thank you, Andre DeShields for this advice when he won his TONY award for Hadestown at age 73.)

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
My book, loosely based on my doctoral dissertation, documents how Young Playwrights Inc. — founded by Stephen Sondheim — changed the world by giving young dramatists from all backgrounds an unprecedented platform to develop and produce their own work. Through interviews, archival materials, and first-person narratives, I’ve captured the artistic and social impact of an organization that transformed generations of playwrights, educators, and communities.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
That I made a difference in their lives.

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Image Credits
Photo credit Dorothy Shi

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