Mad Mel and the Marradians

Anna Nicole: Blond Ambition (reading)

Article in the Queens Tribune

A Streetcar Named Desire

In the hands of Riley, Blanche unravels in front of the audience's eyes. She puts on delicate affected airs as a Southern belle down on her luck, and her very presence grates on Stanley's nerves. The conflict between them is ever-present, including his out-right challenge of her story about how she lost Belle Reve, the family plantation in Mississippi.
Egged on by her coarse and merciless brother-in-law, by show's end Blanche becomes completely undone. Because of the intimacy of TBT's stage, it is a painful process to watch and hear unfold so up close and personal.

-from TBT drama, 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' powerfully performed

 The Winter's Tale

...the actors savor their lines, pausing to appreciate the puns and underline the multiple meanings.
...But it's hard to imagine this difficult play being performed much better.



-from 'Winter's Tale' duly soaped
by Kerry Lengel
Arizona Republic-Phoenix, AZ


...Nearly everything rests on the acting in this situation, and especially in the arduous, tear-jerking first half of The Winter's Tale, the players are up to the challenge posed by the intimate staging.
...it's reasonable to ask why we even pay attention to the scripts outside of literary study. Baird's cast illustrates the best answer, as far as I'm concerned: These characters are real, relatable people.

-from Curtains: Southwest Shakespeares The Winter's Tale at Mesa Arts Center
by Julie Peterson
Phoenix New Times: Up On the Sun (Music and Culture)

Will Rogers Follies

But the girls, whether high-kicking and doing the hand jive or simply sighing like angels, are priceless.

-from Stagebeat
by Rachel Gavin
Corlal Springs, FL

Art of Murder

Though she's just a minor character, Kate the maid (played by Mary Riley) helps to the further the action along.  Like the rest of the core company, Riley does her part justice. Her Kate, an Irish immigrant, actually holds a degree in chemistry and is only working as a maid until she secures her green card.  Though timid at first, by the show's end, she's definitely got some spunk to her.

-from TBT whodunit provides twists and turns
by Diane Speer
News Lifestyles Editor-Alpena, MI

Much Ado About Nothing

Romeo and Juliet

Mary Riley as Lady Capulet outfitted in full traditional Islamic garments was centered and made a small part usually overlooked an integral part of this production.            

 -from Star-Crossed in the Holy Land… of Astoria
Romeo and Juliet…Jerusalem
Genesis Repertory Ensemble
by Amy M. Frateo
DRAMAQUEENS.NET-Queens, NY

Deathtrap

 Wife Myra, played by Mary Riley, loves her hubby "to death" and is so patient you could literally strangle the woman.





-from Get Caught Up in "Deathtrap"
The Winnipesaukee Playhouse
by Jane Bergeron
THE WEIRS TIMES-Weirs Beach, NH

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To The Forum

All of the show's courtesans fill a special niche but it was hard to stop gawking at the nearly naked Mary Riley who played 6-foot-tall dominatrix Gymnasia.



-from A Funny Thing Happened while at Mill Mountain
by Beth Jones
THE ROANOKE TIMES-Roanoke, VA

Give my Regards in Broadway

....the sweet voiced Mary McKinley....

......(Mary) McKinley and (Theresa) Lewis are nicely chosen ingenues





-from Give my Regards To Broadway is fun...
by Montegue Gammon III
The Daily Break-Hampton Roads, VA