Merry Mary

I was raised on a farm near Boise, Idaho, two cow fields away from the Broadway Drive-In Movie Theater. As a child, I was able to see the movie screen from my bedroom and watch the flickering images. It was too far away to hear, so I learned about acting in their faces.While I was a student at Boise high school and a member of the Washington Street Players, (I still have the shirt somewhere), I wrote THIS ISN'T EXACTLY HOW I EXPECTED IT, Winning First Place in the DRAMATICS MAGAZINE Playwriting Contest. It was later published by Pioneer Publishing.http://www.pioneerdrama.com/searchdetail.asp?pc=T HISISNTEXI attended Boise State University for a year, where my one act play, ECHO PARK was produced in the Subal Theatre, starring Pamela Abas and future SOAP DISH film director, Michael Hoffman.After moving to Los Angeles, I became involved in the local theater scene with my play, PAPERBACK BOOKS,* which starred John Fleck, before he became one of the infamous “NEA Four.” My farce, WACS IN KHAKI, prem*iered at the Los Angeles Actors Theatre, and moved to the Company Theatre, directed by Paul Linke.Wordsmiths, facilitated by Silas Jones at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, has inspired me to write and my one act plays have had successful productions countrywide.BEDSIDE COMPANION,* (premiered at Theatre 40's Festival of One-Acts) joined BEHOLD A PALE BRONCO,* WOMEN WITH CASSEROLES,* THE OLD MAN AND THE SEED* and THEY’S WEYWULVES* in a critically acclaimed six week run at PV Players in Torrance, California.My short work, THE OLD MAN AND THE SEED,* won First Prize in the Hewlett Packard 10 Minute Play Contest and was produced at the Action Theatre in Singapore, fall, 2002. Frankly, I had entered, hoping to score some toner for my HP printer. Instead, I was delighted to learn first prize included the trip of a lifetime, to Singapore where I saw my play produced. Singapore is an incredible place to visit. If you ever get a chance to go there, run, don't walk. (Actually, you'll pretty much have to swim there)“THE MIRACULOUS DAY QUARTET” my short play about the after effects of 9/11, has received successful productions in Southern California, Chicago and New York. It just finished a run in the Second Annual Chester Horn Short Play Festival in New York City, garnering an honorable mention for the play, and Best Director and Best Actress nods. YAY!“Mary Steelsmith's antiwar play, TRUE BLUE, succeeds admirably,”wrote theater critic, Michael Greenwald in the San Diego Union-Tribune. TRUE BLUE premiered in the 2006 Fritz Blitz at the Fritz Theatre, in September.My work is published by Players Press. I am a member of the Dramatists’ Guild.You may have seen me on film in such “B” classics as RABBIT TEST (playing Billy Crystal's listtle sister), H.O.T.S. (kissed Danny Bonaduce), WEIRD SCIENCE and DEATH VALLEY. I appeared as a ‘Merciful Sister’ and sang about putting “the Devil in a Bulgarian headlock” on an episode of the original WKRP IN CINCINNATI.Two of my favorite stage roles are "Sheila" in THE BOYS NEXT DOOR and "Aunt Trina" in I REMEMBER MAMA.I had the best time, playing the role of ‘Doreen’ in “The Sunday Man,” a short film directed by Dany Shamash and produced by Rebecca Rankin, as part of American Film Institute’s directing workshop for women.I am married to the dashing Steve Lee and am owned by two cats.*Available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=mary%20 steelsmith&tag=marstelifissq-20&index=books&link Code=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325