Daily Inspiration: Meet Mary Leveridge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Leveridge

Hi Mary, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up on a small farm in Lexington, KY. I grew up riding horses and taking care of goats and spending lots of time outdoors. Horses were my passion. I loved working with them (and still do when time allows). I rode horses competitively from the time I was five until I was eighteen. Then, after a year in England studying equine science, I came home and changed my major to theatre. I had always been interested in acting and theatre but there were very few opportunities to pursue it where I grew up. I never thought it was something for me to do-I was always very quiet, shy, had my nose in a book. It wasn’t until college when I decided that if I’m going to pay for classes, I might as well take the opportunity to pay for classes I actually want to take. I was hooked from my first scene study class. After graduating with my Associates, I made the move to Los Angeles to continue my acting pursuits and study at the Stella Adler Art of Acting Studio. I graduated from their professional conservatory program in 2023. It was honestly the most fun and life-changing experience I’ve had so far.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not! When I told my family I was changing my major, they were surprised to say the least. There were a lot of discussions and even a few arguments about why I was doing it, what had led to the decision. It was really about trying to figure out what the true purpose of my life was supposed to be. Turns out, riding and training horses as a career was not what I was supposed to do. I loved the idea of it, but the practical reality of it I did not enjoy. I still ride from time to time to keep the muscles and the skill sharp, but the day to day grind of running a barn as a business was not for me. When I finally took that first acting class, I got the same feeling from performing that way as I did from riding a horse in the competitive arena. There was a thrill, an adrenaline rush of hitting that flow, of a communion between me and the person I was speaking to. Horses and riders have a similar communion. Both have to be listening to the other and be understood otherwise accidents happen. Onstage, those accidents are drama, conflict, hysterical farce, falling in love, etc. It’s only when we really listen to our scene partner that we can be surprised and be in the moment to resolve the conflicts. One of my most major struggles was learning to let go of the dream of what I thought my life was heading towards and learning to embrace a dream I had hardly dared to hope for in acting.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Well, as stated previously, I’m an actor. I’m also a writer. I’ve got a screenplay or two I’m working on. Last year I wrote, produced, and starred in a one-woman show that premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and that was so much fun. The show was about the life of Russian poet Anna Akhmatova and how she used her poetry to stand up to the Soviet regime that had absolutely crushed all of the artists around her. It was hopeful and dark and stretched me in ways I didn’t know were possible. Something that also fuels me creatively is playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends when schedules allow. I love the improv of it all, the idea that it’s a group of people sitting around a table rolling dice and telling this epic and silly story together. I’m a storyteller at heart and it’s a blessing and privilege to get to do it for a living.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Covid was hard. I did almost my entire Associates degree during the pandemic and that was…rough. Doing classes online is hard enough, but doing acting classes online was really difficult. It hadn’t really been done long-term before, so we were all having to pivot the way we thought things should be in order to adjust to the new reality. I learned a lot about adapting and adjusting when new things get thrown my way. There’s also a certain amount of grace you have to give yourself when you’re making the adjustment. It was new territory for everyone and the stress levels were high. Reminding myself to be patient and breathe was super helpful in getting me through the more stressful times, like doing an entire show over Zoom.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maryleveridge.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_leveridge/
• Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13078477/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Image Credits
Headshots: Leah Huebner

Kim Fowler/The Art of Acting Studio

Richard Dean @broadwayphotovideo