Biography

Riitano's work is dedicated to the craft of acting and is complex, captivating, and stunning as she breathes life into the spirit of her characters. With pioneering drive, she's built a resume and experience based out of Montana complimenting it with acting training out of LA, Portland, and Atlanta.

Minnesota born and Montana raised by her parents Calvin and Joanne Pritchard, a janitor and homemaker respectively, along with her brother and sister they found laughter in the simplest of living. Their scrappy survival taught her resilience. The acting arts made an appearance in her young life through school plays. Because of very rural living, further participation in the arts was not available to her growing up. Acting muses would not leave her heart alone and kept tapping her on the shoulder. Finally, she was to open to them after friends grabbed her to audition and she was cast in her first community theatre play in the town where she moved to in young adulthood. She devoured those opportunities like a long lost love returning home finding a brilliance in storytelling that lit her joy up. Her first acting training and homes were in several community theatres including IT Productions (a black box theatre she helped open), Grand Street Theatre, and Carroll College.

Mary became part of the Helena Theatre Company with her debut at the Myrna Loy Theatre in the "Savannah Disputation" as Melissa. Some of her other favorite roles include Queen Gertrude in "Hamlet," Louise in "The Underpants," Yvonne in "Dinner Party," Artie in "Eleemosynary" and Mae in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

With years of theatre experience in her creative toolbox, she naturally evolved into filming through her first exposure on television in "Maneaters" on Animal Planet and in a short film "The Promise" with Willpower Productions. Mary continues handcrafting a path as a film actress. For nearly 10 years, she's been involved in the creative processes of independent filmmaking with several projects in the works. She's curious and thirsty to dive deeper into characters and stories that make you think, make you feel, and stir the deepest connections of emotions we have with each other.

An indomitable force of nature on set she is noticed for her great energy, enthusiasm, professionalism, and cheeky wit. Off set finds her free spirit in nature snowboarding, biking, tromping through the woods hiking or nerding out studying acting & reading, on food adventures, and with her family & friends absolutely loving life.
- IMDb mini biography by: Mary Riitano