Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Strickland.
Hi Mary, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I first performed stand-up comedy at The Helium Comedy Club at the Galleria in St Louis, Missouri. I performed a 5-minute set and fell in love with stand-up comedy at that moment. I have always been told I was funny, and my husband’s Uncle suggested that I go and try out, so I did. I signed up for the next week at the same club, and after my set, I was offered to be featured on a big show at the Laugh Lounge. The lineup included Princeton Dew, Maurice G, Sherwin Zennon, and Bryan with a Y. Months before the show, I got on as many stages as possible and as many open mics as possible and worked on my material. I worked on my set, which started out with about 5 minutes of prepared comedy and achieved 15 minutes for the big show. I was on cloud nine and continued to work hard at every stage. A few months later, after performing for different audiences, my husband and I decided to go out of town to Atlanta, Georgia. I performed at the Atlanta Comedy Theater New Year’s Eve of 2019. Since then, I have won Centralia Illinois’s funniest comic two times back to back. I placed second at the Back Door Comedy Club roast battle and placed second in the Us comedy competition. I have opened for the Mayor of Rap City, Chris Thomas, Jorge Machaen, and DL Hughley. I was awarded Comic of the Year in 2020, and 2021 from the Yours Awards held in STL. I have traveled to and performed in Las Vegas, Louisville, Kentucky; Little Rock, Arkansas; Mount Gilead, Ohio and numerous cities in Illinois and all over St Louis. My husband and I have produced various shows each one has sold out. I’ve enjoyed working with Darius Bradford, Willie Lynch Jr, Reggie Edwards, Larry Greene, Chanel Ali, Lady Re, Mike Samp, and more.
After less than a year of comedy, I also ventured into acting. I have done skits for STL LIVE and have been featured in the TV show Local Ambition. I have done numerous short films, including Bonnie Conway P.I. and my cousin Phil, and I am currently filming in the movie Rio Rules the World. I hosted with John Lehr at the Always Late TV movie awards this year. I even ventured into voice-over acting and played Big Germ in the cartoon Wassup Dawg created by Tonerio Brown.
I have modeling experience, and I have modeled for STL Live and Local Ambition and was in the finals for the 10th season. I was awarded Model of the Year from the Yours Awards in 2020. At this point in my career, I am hosting an open mic every Tuesday featuring some of the best comedians in the St Louis area and spoken word artists. I will travel to Hollywood, California, this June to perform at the Comedy Chateau for their 2nd annual comedy festival. I will continue to hit as many stages as possible to make my name known worldwide.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall it has been a big learning experience. It could have been a smoother road. I would love to say I have left every stage on fire with laughter, but that’s not true. I’ve had to learn to manipulate my set to appease the crowd. I have had to learn to slow down and not step on my jokes, time myself, use my facial expressions, tone, voice volume, and energy to bring to the stage, write jokes, and be current with world events. Other struggles I have are money and time. I still have a family that I take care of, and at the moment, I run my own cleaning business throughout the day. So just making sure that daily things are taken care of and trying to follow my dreams is a struggle within itself.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Overall I’m an entertainer. I’m a host, comedian, actress, model, show promoter, and voice-over artist. I specialize in stand-up comedy; however, I can create magic in whatever category I am in. I am most proud of my persistence. No matter the case, I have not stopped and don’t plan on doing so anytime soon. What sets me apart from others is my consistency. That’s the difference between being good and great.
Let’s end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
What matters most to me is getting my story heard. I got a lot to talk about, and I know many people can relate to many things that I’ve been through. I need to do this because my kids are watching, and I want to show them that anything they put their minds to, they can accomplish it no matter where they come from. My husband is my biggest supporter and biggest fan. I love to see him in the audience and tell him what I have accomplished. He has been to almost every show and is at every open mic, podcast, and award show with me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/marysherod?igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryjayneboo?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryJayne2021?t=oXTqdSbIUYRBIwfCQLOJoQ&s=09
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marystrickland7857
- Other: tiktok.com/@marysherod
Image Credits
A.G Shaw
