Actress.  Mary’s stage debut was May 12, 1862 when she appeared in “The Rough Diamond,”.  Her early career found her in supporting roles for the more established stars of the stage. However in later roles she played increasingly important roles such as the nurse in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” whIch was a character long in her repertory. The leads in the play were E. H. Sothern and Julia Marlowe, then two of the stars of Broadway.  Her first New York appearance was made as a member of the famous stock company of the old Winter Garden. She went to the Pacific Coast, where her successes attracted the attention of Edwin Booth who invited her east to join his company. Booth was considered the foremost American Shakespearean performer of the 19th century and the founder of The Players Club in New York City. Mary, now known as Mrs. Sol Smith appeared on stage with Henry Placide and Dion Boucicault, and later replaced the celebrated Mary Gannon as soubrette and ingenue in Lester Wallack’s stock company. Her last appearance in a regular production was with a company at the New Theatre, then the Century, which gave a Spring season several years back in the play of “Beethoven” based on the life of the composer. She reappeared however, in her old role of the nurse in “Romeo and Juliet” at the all star testimonial for William Winter, and she was again seen at the Biltmore in April of 1916 when she was 86 years old.  Some of her other roles include, “Old Heidelberg” in 1910, “The Witch” in 1910,  “Cottage in the Air” in 1909, “John the Baptist” in 1907, “The Taming of the Shrew” in 1905, “Imprudence” in 1902, “A Rose O’Plymouth-town” in 1902 and “Sag Harbor” in 1900.   During her fifty plus years in acting she was considered one of the leading American actresses and was known in her later years as the “Grand Old Lady of the American Stage”. (bio by: Saratoga)