This month we interview Mary Ferrara, who for the past 5 and 1/2 years has worked for ImprovBoston, from designing their programs, writing the monthly newsletter to being Webmaster of their website. This summer Mary is retiring from ImprovBoston, so let's find out how she got involved in working for ImprovBoston, her own performance experience as well as her favorite ImprovBoston memory!
1. Mary, you've been involved with ImprovBoston for quite a few years. What brought you to the theater and what's your favorite memory?
Goodness, I have to say I've been a creative person my entire life but it wasn't until I found ImprovBoston that it was fully taken advantage of. I've helped design collateral and website stuff for them, which is great since I've never had a creative job. To get to how I found IB, well I was on a break from improv classes I was taking somewhere else and didn't want to get rusty; so I decided to take interim classes at ImprovBoston. Needless to say once I found IB I discovered quite the tight-knit community, so it wasn't hard to get reeled in. I eventually graduated from their training program and went on to perform with a few troupes. A great deal of those performances were at IB, largely due to the fact that their Sunday and Wednesday night shows are great at accomodating outside troupes. So I guess I can credit IB for helping most of my creatives impulses come to fruition.
As far as favorite memory, I guess I can say when I saw The Family Show logo I put together appear on a postcard, that was quite a proud moment. As far as favorite memories of shows, there have been several that have been memorable, probably too many to mention. But I will talk about my favorite personal memory. I have a friend Kevin who currently lives in Philadelphia. I've known him since I was a teenager. Anyways, I've never known anyone to make me laugh like he did, so I was so psyched that he was on his way to see me perform at ImprovBoston. But shortly before the show he left a voicemail saying that he had taken a cab there from his mother's house in Brookline only to find that he had no money for admission. So he had to walk all the way back. He was really apologetic that he couldn't go...so I called him back and said I'd leave money in the box office to cover cab fare and admission and that he needed to get his butt over. So he did, and I finally got to make this guy laugh, a guy who always used to tell me "Mary, you're so quiet, I know there's something more to you..."
2. Where are you originally from and what brought you to Boston? What made
you stay?
I'm from the area. I was born in Dorchester actually, a place that will always hold a place in my heart for many reasons.
Though I've thought of leaving Boston, I'm hesitant because it really is such a great city.
3. What are your favorite hobbies?
Besides performing with my improv troupe Ultimate Improv, I like seeing live concerts and theatre, shopping, playing tennis, drawing, walking, jogging, and driving my new Camry :-)
4. Do you have any important advice, anecdotes, heck even recipes to share?
I have to admit, I'm a bit of a skin care freak. I've worn moisturizer every day since I was 10 years old, is that obsessive? Anyways, some advice I have (which was given to me, I swear I didn't make it up) is to
always wear SPF on your face, no matter what time of year it is. You'll thank yourself later. Also when you wash your face, rinse at least 15 times and blot dry with a
tissue instead of a hand towel. Because that towel may have accumulated quite a bit of bacteria in the day or so you've had it out.
5. What's one goal that you have to achieve before you die?
Seriously? To perform on a Broadway stage.
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