Mary Reynard

Mary Reynard

Mary Reynard began her career at the age of 16 as a dancer with The Claire Powell Debutantes. She traveled the United States on a "show train" where she lived in a state room while performing at State Fairs. After graduating from High School she studied Opera at Northwestern University with Norman Gulbrenson. She left Northwestern to hitch-hike thru the U.S. , Canada, Mexico and South America with her boyfriend settling in Boulder Co. where they lived on a commune in the Rocky Mountains. While in Boulder Mary performed at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and other performing venues including a dancing stint with comedian Martin Mull. She studied Yoga with Swami Satchitananda and became a founding member of the Integral Yoga Institute of Boulder, as well as studying with famous French Pantomime artist Samuel Avital. She also taught dance at the Boulder Free University and at Spring School, an alternative High School. After leaving Boulder Mary continued her Operatic training at the American Conservatory of Music with Gisela Goettling. There she was recognized as one of their top 10 students and went on to teach Musical Comedy Workshops for them. While studying there she was cast in an original musical version of Lysistrata directed by Chicago legend Ted Liss whom she married. Soon they were team teaching his renowned acting workshops. During this time she also studied with and then began team teaching with Second City legend Del Close. Mary traveled to London, England to study Shakespeare at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. There she befriended instructor David Parry and Geoffrey Connors the vocal coach to the Nation Theatre of Great Britain. She organized and produced Trans-Atlantic seminars for them in Chicago affording local actors the opportunity to study with them. At their request she helped David Parry and June Kemp to launch the successful London Shakespeare Studio. Mary received her Sag card from Hollywood Icon Joanne Woodward in Ms. Woodward's directorial debut. She has worked on various film projects with Sharon Stone, Michelle Phillips, Steven Railsback, Mickey Rooney, Mel Brooks and Frank DeFilita. Favorite stage roles include: Lady Macbeth (Macbeth), Billie Dawn (Born Yesterday), Abigail Williams (The Crucible), Medea (Medea), Irma Cronkite (Picnic), Miss Wonderland (Dylan) and Cinderella (Cinderella) As a director Mary has worked in Chicago and the North Shore communities for many years. Most recently she directed acclaimed and controversial productions of A Body of Water for Redtwist Theatre and Macbeth for Roundhouse at New Rock Theater. Other favorite projects include developing and directing Dear Murderess with Emmy Award winner Elaine Madsen, producing and directing A Christmas Carol for CRIS Radio at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, and directing documentary films on Allen Ginsberg, John Robbins and Jerry Brown. Mary continues to act, direct and coach in the Chicagoland area.
Mary Riitano

Mary Riitano

Riitano's work is dedicated to the craft of acting and is complex, captivating, and stunning as she breathes life into the spirit of her characters. With pioneering drive, she's built a resume and experience based out of Montana complimenting it with acting training out of LA, Portland, and Atlanta. Minnesota born and Montana raised by her parents Calvin and Joanne Pritchard, a janitor and homemaker respectively, along with her brother and sister they found laughter in the simplest of living. Their scrappy survival taught her resilience. The acting arts made an appearance in her young life through school plays. Because of very rural living, further participation in the arts was not available to her growing up. Acting muses would not leave her heart alone and kept tapping her on the shoulder. Finally, she was to open to them after friends grabbed her to audition and she was cast in her first community theatre play in the town where she moved to in young adulthood. She devoured those opportunities like a long lost love returning home finding a brilliance in storytelling that lit her joy up. Her first acting training and homes were in several community theatres including IT Productions (a black box theatre she helped open), Grand Street Theatre, and Carroll College. Mary became part of the Helena Theatre Company with her debut at the Myrna Loy Theatre in the "Savannah Disputation" as Melissa. Some of her other favorite roles include Queen Gertrude in "Hamlet," Louise in "The Underpants," Yvonne in "Dinner Party," Artie in "Eleemosynary" and Mae in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." With years of theatre experience in her creative toolbox, she naturally evolved into filming through her first exposure on television in "Maneaters" on Animal Planet and in a short film "The Promise" with Willpower Productions. Mary continues handcrafting a path as a film actress. For nearly 10 years, she's been involved in the creative processes of independent filmmaking with several projects in the works. She's curious and thirsty to dive deeper into characters and stories that make you think, make you feel, and stir the deepest connections of emotions we have with each other. An indomitable force of nature on set she is noticed for her great energy, enthusiasm, professionalism, and cheeky wit. Off set finds her free spirit in nature snowboarding, biking, tromping through the woods hiking or nerding out studying acting & reading, on food adventures, and with her family & friends absolutely loving life.

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