Sam earned a Master of Arts degree from Trinity in 1981; her career in the professional theatre and arts education spans over 30 years. In addition to her teaching responsibilities in Trinity University's Department of Speech and Drama, Sam enjoys an active career as a free-lance artist, performer, storyteller, and conference presenter.

Professionally, Sam has performed throughout the United States. She is a member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA), the national union of professional actors. As a conference presenter, her workshops and keynote performances offer a unique blend of scholarly research and content within a performance context. Sam's collection of Biblical portraits and original stories has led to a host of performance engagements in worship, spiritual renewal, and continuing religious education contexts.

Recent Original Performance Works:

• "Passionate Pilgrims," 2007 Lenten Lecture Series: Preparing to be Easter People, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, Corpus Christi, Texas, Spring, 2007.
• "Tending the Flocks," National Conference of Retired Military Chaplains, Nashville, Tennessee, Spring 2006.
• "Our Stories, Our Sacred Bonds," Women's Retreat, Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, Fall, 2006; Women's Gathering, Texas Lutheran University, Summer, 2005.
• "Woman's Work," Retreat, Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, Spring, 2005; Women's Gathering, TLU, Summer, 2004.
• "The Passion of the Journey," Westminster Conducting Institute, Princeton, NJ, Summer, 2004; Krost Symposium, TLU, Fall, 2003.

Other Original Performance Works:

• "Gifts," a collection of prose, poetry, and dramatic literature, which celebrates the gifts given by our Creator God.
• "Different Worlds," a diverse collection of literary voices, which illuminates the challenges of communication and conflict resolution.
• "Passion Moves," literary voices unfold an exploration of the dynamic tension between opposites as chaos gives birth to creativity.

Additional Artistic Work:

• Sam serves as a visual artist and colorist with her husband, Steve, in their theatrical design company, SLG Design & Creative Talent. They have been a resident scenic design team at the St. Louis MUNY, the largest outdoor theatre in the USA for over 14 seasons.
• A recent collaborative venture is playing at SeaWorld of San Antonio: The Cannery Row Caper, a film-noir style, comic detective mystery. Boasting a three-story set that reveals unexpected special effects, this theatrical delight stars two sea lions, a very suspicious otter and a rather temperamental walrus.

Selected Stage Roles:

• Elspeth, THE WINTER GUEST
• Amanda, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, AEA
• Molly, MOLLY SWEENEY, AEA
• Gertrude, HAMLET
• Emily Dickinson, THE BELLE OF AMHERST
• Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, ZELDA
• Anna, OLD TIMES, AEA
• Nora, A TOUCH OF THE POET, AEA
• Aase, PEER GYNT, AEA
• Sally Talley, TALLEY'S FOLLY