Mary was born in Washington, DC, and has an older brother and two younger sisters. Her family moved to Asheville, NC when she was in the 4th grade and there she fell in love with the mountains and most things outdoors. Her high school had a passionate theatre director who encouraged her entire family to act, dance and sing in the summer musical productions. Mary was hooked and never looked back. She spent many years trying different training programs before settling into Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University where she received her MFA. Her three years training with Bill Esper and Maggie Flanigan changed her life.