Ilion High School - Class of 1967

Herkimer Evening Telegram - January 15, 1978

I'm Functioning on 4 Hours of Sleep - By Liz Walrath

Article 19

I'm Functioning on 4 Hours of Sleep

Ilion's Mary Carney Enjoys the Demanding 16-Hour Days
By Liz Walrath

Just after Christmas, news received that an Ilion actress, Mary Carney, would appear regularly on "Ryan's Hope," a nationally televised soap opera viewed in the early afternoon Monday through Friday.

Feature writer, Luci Squiers wrote the story. Since then, there has been so much interest in Miss Carney, particularly after local viewers watched her in the series, that feature writer Liz Walrath talked with Miss Carney in New York for more details on her new career. Here is the story.

Ilion Life upon a wicked stage ain't nothin; for a girl the Broadway song hit goes.

That might have been true in another era but not today. Ask Mary Carney, Ilion's rising star on Broadway and television soaps.

The budding young actress, presently seen in ABC's daytime television series, "Ryan's Hope" always knew she'd be an actress.

"I thought about it even in high school," she said in a telephone interview from her New York City apartment on W rd Street. "It seemed rather far-fetched and I felt rather guilty about it but I knew that's what I wanted."

She said she was convinced when starring role in Carousel at Ilion High School from where she graduated in 1967.

It was such a joy, I guess that's what lead ... The young thespian pursued here dream methodically. She studied theater at the Stat university College at Albany for her bachelor's degree and centered studies in drama.

Mary ... in theaters throughout the country. Mary went to New York ... the off Broadway Play of Othello.

Meanwhile, she has already auditioned for the soap opera role. She later learned that the role of Mary Ryan Fanelli in "Ryan's Hope" was hers meaning simultaneous roles in two different mediums.

Her demanding schedule requires her to put 16 hour days at times and she little sleep but she said she enjoys it.

"It's totally exhausting. I'm functioning, on four hours sleep most of the time," she said.

She spends days rehearsing for Othello and studies the script for the soap opera at night.

"It's often 11:30 at night when I get home," she said. "Then I sit down with the script for Ryan's Hope."

She's up early the next morning to be on the set at rehearsals and taping for the half hour serial are done the same day.

"But there's also blocking, makeup and wardrobe details to be taken care of befoe the actual taping." she explained. She said it all takes about six or seven hours. She rehearses two days a week.

How does she compare television with the stage.

"It will take a while for me to relax on television," she said. "It's a whole new medium for me. It's different from the stage. You have to tone your performance down. You're working only with the camera instead of communication with the maybe 600 people from the stage.

The young actress enjoys her new association with characters in the world of soaps.

"They're delightful, " she said. "It's a good group very talented, I especially enjoy Helen Gallagher, who plays my mother. She's won several Tony awards. She's a joy to work with."

Ms. Carney knew one day she'd be in one of the soap operas once she got into acting.

It's kind of natural progression," she said. "The job pays well and it's good financial security. Most actors and actresses thank their lucky stars when they find a job. I've been pretty lucky since coming to New York. Ninety per cent of this profession is unemployed at any given time."

Calling herself basically a small town gal, the Ilion native says her hometown is an ideal place to raise a family, something she said she plans to do when the time is right.

She, in fact, recently became engaged to Michael Houlihan, another young struggling actor she met in a Shakespeare theater in Washington. But, she hasn't set a wedding day.

"We'll do that when time permits," she said, laughing and added "When both of us can take about two weeks off."

Mary who has eight brothers and sisters is the daughter of Mrs. Mary Margaret Carney, 12 Crescent Ave. [St.] and the late Dr. Theodore Carney.