Montecito Alum Judson Pearce Morgan Directs Providence School Play

Society Invites was contacted by Jeannine Morgan – former Head of School for El Montecito School in Montecito (ELMO) – about her son Judson Pearce, who has volunteered to direct the Providence School play Annie Jr. The performances are April 25 – 26, tickets are on sale now. Proceeds benefit the school.

Jeannine is a respected and beloved educator as the Head of ELMO for 40 years. She led the expansion of ELMO to include grades K through 6 and relocated it to the San Roque campus. Her husband Paul taught economics at Westmont College for 36 years.

Judson is a producer-director who has worked on Broadway and in Los Angeles. He has returned to the area, living in Summerland with his wife, actress Kelly Overton (Van Helsing) and their three children.

I caught up with Judson for a brief on his work, and directing the upcoming school play:

Q. Tell us about your acting and directing career.

A. After getting my MFA in Acting/Directing from University of Missouri Kansas City, I headed to New York City. After a few small TV gigs, I got my big break in the original Broadway cast of The Graduate for a year. Next, I moved to Los Angeles to work in TV/Film and begin my directing career. My wife, Kelly Overton, and I wrote/directed and produced an indie film called The Collective, which did the festival circuit, won a handful of awards, and was picked up for distribution by Netflix. In Montecito, I attendedELMO where I performed in all the school and church shows, and graduated Crane Country Day School where I studied theater and was in their productions of West Side Story and Pirates of Penzance in 7th and 8th grade. 

What is the play Annie Jr. about? Is it similar to Annie?

Annie Jr. is a condensed version of Annie. It has all the great songs you know from the movie, but is specifically made for young performers and audiences. It’s the perfect musical for the whole family. 

How did you get to direct it?

Well, a few students (including my daughter, Ever, who plays Annie) pressured me into it. Haha! There was a vacancy at the school, and it was unclear if they would be able to put on an all-school musical if someone from the community didn’t step up. So, I did. I am not part of the faculty, just a parent/volunteer. 

What do you want the Montecito community to know about your play?

It’s a very family/faith friendly musical in a world where so much of the content isn’t appropriate.  

411: Link for tickets https://cur8.com/24116/project/131460