As a little girl, Boston-based Call it a Whim Productions founder Mary C. Ferrara had the performing bug; but she never got the chance to really perform except for maybe 4th grade chorus (ask her someday about the time she almost went on stage in the 5th grade to read a story she wrote and a bad cold sent her home…devastated). She used to imagine every day of her life was a sitcom episode, with the theme song to the tune of “Downtown” by Petula Clark. She did well in some dramatic reading competitions, made a good friend laugh with her impersonations, and even took some screenwriting and film classes in college, but it wasn’t until 1999 that Mary really got “the bug” to perform and be in the Arts. This overworked 28-year old joined an activities organization called “Common Interests.” Their purpose was to organize events for busy adults looking for people to do stuff with. It was through them that she discovered…improv. One of the events Mary went to was a show at the Improv Asylum. After she thought “Why not take a class in this, might be fun…” She signed up that year for Level 1 and immediately was hooked on performing. Mary was the first to graduate from both Improv Asylum’s and ImprovBoston’s training programs; and performed in improv and sketch troupes for several years, even performing in NYC and Chicago.

Improv is still an inspiration in her performing, directing and writing. After almost 20 years of performing, in improv, theatre, and film (with some directing and writing thrown in), 2018 opened up an opportunity to produce and help direct a SAG film as part of the January 2018 Actor’s Green Room Film Challenge in NYC, the award-winning film Candlestick Justice (a First Time Productions film). After that she decided to produce, write, direct, and star in her own film, the award-winning Schmoopie, inspired by a break up and her love of animals (Mary has volunteered at the Quincy Animal Shelter since 2008). Under the umbrella of her own production company, Call it a Whim Productions, she has continued to write; notably, she wrote the award-winning short script Red Shirt, about a woman who goes on a blind date not knowing anything about her date other than he has a red shirt; she then runs into a high school classmate before she can meet him and chaos ensues.

Mary hopes to produce her script, Red Shirt, in 2022; in 2019, she oversaw production on Wallie’s Gals, about a group of women who reunite (30 years later) after working in a discount clothing store together. Currently in post-production, the project should be completed in late 2021. In 2020, Mary completed the script “The Corporate Virus,” about a woman who abruptly quits her job then gets an illness she believes is from being overworked. It is currently doing the festival circuit.

You can check out Mary’s acting pursuits and contact info at www.marycferrara.com

View Mary’s Directing reel, with some of her favorite scenes that she’s directed.