While attending Colgate University, Roche found a mentor in DGA member Doug Wilson, a producer and director at ABC Sports. This led to a Summer Olympics research job and a secretarial position which provided a foot in the door. “All I really wanted to do was production, but girls didn't do that at ABC Sports,” Roche recalls. “On weekends I’d pay my own way to events ABC was covering, earn $25 a day as a go-fer and hung out in control rooms and edit bays whenever possible.” Her perseverance paid off finally landing her solidly in the production world. “ABC Sports was my graduate school. Roone Arledge set a high standard as he married music, sports, and all the surrounding events into pure drama”.

Roche with actor Telly Savalas at the Battle of the Network Stars. - photos courtesy Barbara Roche

Her time at ABC proved the basis for all that followed as Roche relocated to Los Angeles to pursue her love of music, variety, and drama. Producer/Director Don Ohlmeyer understood her desire to transition from sports into entertainment and hired her for an Emmy telecast. This led to a job as an Associate Director on a variety special and a DGA card. “Little did I know that the Guild would become such a huge part of my life!” said Roche. “In the beginning I attended the required council meetings and even came to a National Board meeting. Not quite sure of the protocol, I found myself asking questions, getting answers and meeting people I had only read about and greatly admired.”

Through activities at the Guild, Roche found other valuable mentors like veteran Stage Manager Arlando Smith, who suggested she get out of the control room and edit bay and work with him on a Norman Lear pilot. It was good advice because she went on to work on a myriad of classic sitcoms including The Jeffersons, Alice, and nine seasons on Night Court, first as Stage Manager and later as Associate Director. “Night Court represented the best of all possible professional situations. It was a family in every sense of the word. Creative input from all members of the production team was appreciated and respected by creator Reinhold Weege. He gave me tremendous freedom in casting and staging extras, allowing me to create a fluid and continuous style.”

Roche also freelanced in sports, news and variety and became more involved with daytime drama. While working as a Stage Manager on General Hospital during the “Luke and Laura” years, she gained yet another mentor in producer Gloria Monty and became a “designated hitter” on all the west coast soaps. When producer Aaron Spelling decided to enter the daytime drama world with the ambitious Sunset Beach, (which shot in studio, on beach locations and featured fires, explosions, stunts, and a variety of on-camera disasters), Roche was hired as Stage Manager. “I love the discipline of daytime drama, when we’re getting an hour’s worth of real drama and real action, all with extraordinarily high production values often completed in one shooting day.”

While the pace of the production world can be demanding, Roche’s approach helps her make it comfortable. “Someone once told me I have a ‘Velvet Whip,’” she laughs. “Maybe so, but I prefer to think that we can be organized and retain a sense of humor, that we can run a set without screaming nor being abusive to anyone, and have fun while being creative!”

Things came full circle for Roche when she was asked to Stage Manage the multiple award-winning special, Tony Bennett: An American Classic with director Rob Marshall. “Working on this show was a dream come true. I came to Los Angeles to work in music and variety, and to work with top people. This brought everything together into one wonderful project.”

“I’ve been very fortunate not to get typecast by genre,” said Roche. “And I’ve been fortunate to be able to continue in the world of live television working on events like The Academy Awards and political conventions. As a news junkie, I relish getting that sudden call from ABC News to be part of director Roger Goodman’s extraordinary team on programs like Good Morning America or Nightline, challenging all the technical boundaries to bring the world to our televisions. It’s great to be able to work as both an Associate Director and Stage Manager in so many genres as well as an Assistant Director on episodic or feature productions. I love working in all those areas and enjoy the variety of the work.

Roche at the Democratic National Convention with ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson and former President Jimmy Carter.

Working in all those areas is a term that could also describe Roche’s Guild service. Once she became a DGA member, she found herself involved almost right away in activities of the Western AD/SM/PA Council, to which she has been elected more than ten times. She has also has been elected to the DGA National Board, first as an Alternate, then as an Associate and finally as Board Member since 1986. She has been on numerous committees including the Negotiations and Pre-Negotiations Committees dating back to the days of Executive Director Michael Franklin and DGA President Franklin Schaffner. She presently continues as part of Negotiations Chair Gil Cates’ team. She credits the Guild leaders as invaluable mentors and says being able to give back to people and an organization is an honor in itself.

During her service to the Guild she is most proud of her work on both the Special Projects Committee, created by her idol, DGA Past President Robert Wise, as it continues to educate members and preserve DGA history and traditions. She is equally proud of her work as Co-Chair of the Bi-Council Committee which many years ago framed crossover provisions allowing Stage Managers in multi-camera to more easily do the same work in film as Assistant Directors. “This was especially meaningful as it later culminated in the ‘Blended Contract’ in 2005 which redefined how all our members would work in the rapidly approaching digital age, where our work would be defined not by the medium on which it is shot, but the style and genre.” Presently she continues to mentor others, taking part in seminars and encouraging observation on sets as well as working on the DGA Reality Committee and exploring opportunities in new media.

Asked how she feels to be the recipient of so prestigious an award, Roche answered, “It’s very unreal. It’s an incredible honor especially when it is bestowed by your peers who are dedicated to serving this very diverse category. The tradition of the Franklin J. Schaffner Award and having been fortunate to have known him myself makes it even more special. The DGA is strong because of its members. When the members are involved, just like on sets where everyone pulls together, things work very well. I am so very lucky to be able to have a career which is fun, rewarding, challenging and have an opportunity to give back to this most wonderful creative community.”