Barra studied acting at the Drama Centre, London and starred in the BBC series “Take Three Girls”. She appeared in several plays at the Mark Taper Forum Theater and was a featured actress in both comedic and dramatic television. As a screenwriter Barra wrote Slow Dancing in the Big City and Misunderstood, starring Gene Hackman. She produced the Dirty Dancing television series and wrote various daytime television shows including the Emmy-winning The Tap Dance Kid. Her play, A Mother, A Daughter, and a Gun has been produced in L.A., Chicago, and New York, starring Olympia Dukakis. She wrote and directed her play Spa at the Coast Theater in Los Angeles. Barra also wrote and directed the features Life of the Party and Love Hurts, with Carrie-Anne Moss, Janine Garafalo and Jenna Elfman. She is a story teller who has told her stories throughout the city. Grant has received Director’s Guild and Humanitas nominations as well as winning The Writer’s Guild award.