MISS JUNE 2006

MARY KRAFT

Mary Kraft photo by Stacey Bode.

The actress/voice over specialist/overall funny girl talks being in a play based on a 70's porno, “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” trying to kill an 18-inch “Halloween” doll and kicking ping pong ass as this month's Polly Pinup.

KRAFT WORK

CCF: How long have you been involved in acting?

MK: Hmmmm, let’s see. I stepped on stage for the first time ever in 1999 in a sketch comedy show at Dad’s Garage Theatre here in Atlanta. I studied advertising in the journalism school at UGA, but never felt much affinity for that, unfortunately. Or fortunately? I moved around all over from Colorado to Montana, to Cape Cod and back living and working at resorts, trying to figure out what I wanted to do, what I was best at. I’ve always been the “funny” girl. Funny voices, funny stories… then I started writing stuff down along the way and those started turning into sketches, which eventually led to a little training, and then to performing.

CCF: What are some of the voices you’ve done on “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”?

MK: I’ve done things like, “woman on elevator” and “computer voice” but what I did that was most recognizable were the live-action 'films' that the cartoon characters would be watching. Always would be some B-movie starring the same 2 people, me and Don Kennedy. They had planned to do a few more, but budget and time constraints and all..... “Grampire: Asstisted Living Dracula” and “Vegetable Man” are the ones that made it. Very quick snippets on the shows, but more available to see on the DVDs… “Raydon!” accompanies the most recent “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” DVD. I think that one’s really funny… What I've recently done with them that is more consistent work is on “Squidbillies” written by essentially the same guys. I'm “Krystal” the obese “shut-in” woman who lives on an old mattress at the dump. Fun, fun, fun! Seriously!

CCF: How did you get involved with the “Aqua Teen” guys?

MK: Saw a flyer for an internship-for-credit position with the Adult Swim department, so I sent in a resume. ...even though I was not in school at the time. Thought, what the hell. They were in production of “Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast” at the time and were in the very preliminary drawing/brainstorming stages for “Aqua Teen.” Got called for an interview with Keith Crofford, the executive producer over there and that went well, I thought. He took me down to meet Dave Willis, Matt Maiellaro, and Jim Fortier. We talked, seemed to get along. I told them about some of the acting/comedy/radio work I’d done. They were looking for a writer’s assistant at that time, and I’d just gotten an agent and was barely starting to go out on auditions. Next hurdle was to meet with Mike Lazzo. He likes or liked at the time to play ping-pong while he interviewed people. They had a ping pong table between the offices. I remember thinking that was pretty awesome. I held my own. I have to say, I’m sort of a jock. I wasn’t going to give him any slack. It all went swimmingly, and then they didn’t hire me. That is to say, I don’t believe they hired anyone for that position. It just sort of went away or was incorporated into the tasks of P.A., at that time John Brestan. But, the great thing that came out of it is that they started calling me for live-action bits and female voices that they needed. In their words, “we don’t know any other girls.” That’s all changed, because I think they’re all married over there, now. But thankfully, they still call me in. Plus, I couldn’t have worked any regular schedule anyway, with the auditions starting to pick up. Through doing the “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” stuff, I met Jay Edwards, the “Stomp!Shout!Scream!” writer and director, who called me in to audition for his film, which was a ton of fun. So the residual benefits just keep on coming. They’re all super fun guys to work with. Jay’s “S!S!S!” website also has a lot of fun stuff on it, including a journal which follows production of the film from beginning to the current festival circuit. Plus it has some cast/crew contributions with one from me.

CCF: Besides all that stuff, where may somebody have heard or seen you? Any certain commercials?

MK: Oh, dear. Let’s see, Papa John’s, Time-Warner Digital Phone, Trading Spaces, What Not To Wear and HGTV promos, blah, blah... And I doubt you could get a job in Atlanta without having me welcome you to work on a training DVD. Lots and lots of corporate industrials floating around out there… “The Blotter” is on really super late on TBS, seriously at like four in the morning. “Reno 911” ripped off the premise. “Blotter” was first. Same exact set-up, though. I’m on an episode of that they apparently keep on showing. I’ll get a call every now and then from someone across the country, “I couldn’t sleep and turned on the T.V. and thought I saw you all dirty-nasty at a yard sale with a baby in a stroller pointing a shotgun at a cop... That was you, right?” Aaaa-yep… Otherwise, I mostly do short films with a group of very talented people, mostly improvisers that I’ve met through Dad’s Garage Theatre. Also, some stage plays, sketch comedy, standup with my comedy partner, Leslie Sharp, and some improv here and there. Working on a one-woman show with Leslie, working title: “The Chugnuts” ... or maybe not. How about “Melvin Hot Knots”? We’re still working on the name.... Original character sketches, just the two of us. In a one-woman show. The comedy’s already started! ...ohhhh.

CCF: And you were in a play – “Debbie Does Dallas the Musical”? Were you Debbie?

MK: I was not Debbie. I was Donna. Which was fine with me... My part didn't really have to be able to sing, only the leads and two others, I believe. All I had to do was dance and cheer. Which I really had to learn to do. And I wasn't absolutely sure I wanted to do the thing in the first place when asked, but was very glad I did. I ended up getting the Dad's Garage “Best Supporting Actress” award for that role... which is saying....s omething, just not sure what. If you ever attended that awards ceremony, you'd know what I meant. But it still was an honor. More of a party than a real awards ceremony.... “Debbie Does Dallas” was just an all-around great show to be in, lots of work, but lots of rewards. We all felt like we could've run the show for another month or so. We all showed up ready to go and glad to be there every night. It sold out nearly the whole run and had receptive, open-minded audiences… in the deep South!. But generally slightly older audiences....a lot of people who sort of “grew up” with “Debbie Does Dallas.” Which is kind of creepy, now that I think about it. There was no real nudity. The stage show is basically a parody. But it was racy. Racy enough for my dad to be a little embarrassed. Second thought, I can't believe I let him see it. My boyfriend, Dan Triandiflou, was in the show, as well. Lots and lots of fun. One of those great acting/theatre experiences.

Photo of Mary getting her spank on by Linnea Frye.

CCF: Just watched a “Halloween” Michael Meyers spoof called “Day Off” you did with the ATHF guys. That was great. Any comment on it?

MK: “Day Off”! Way back in the day. I had a lot of fun doing that with those guys. Matt Maiellaro of ATHF had this, like, 18-inch tall Michael Myers doll and they wanted to make a short film about what Myers does on his day off. So we went to a local coffee shop where one of their friends, Tom, worked and scared a lot of people with one of Matt’s pride-and-joy-fake-but-very-real-looking guns. This one actually had lots of kick-back on it. Semi-automatic, I believe it would be called. I met a lady about a week later, because this was in my neighborhood, at that same coffee shop and she asked if that was me with the gun and why??!? with the gun? and said she turned around and went home that day because she was scared to go in. Fun, fun. I love that type of thing, where you’re just doing something just because you really like the idea, and aren’t or don’t have to be concerned at all, really, about the budget, crew, any of that... because there was none of that. But it was a funny idea, and fun to do. That’s sort of what the group I work with does. We have a little more production value than “Day Off!” but… not much. Lighthog Films is the group, and our site has some of our past projects.

CCF: Any ambition to be a scream queen and do more work in horror type films?

MK: Not really. I don’t have a special affinity, to speak of, for the genre. But I do enjoy doing fun roles, and love developing characters no matter what the genre, which is something you really get to do more of with smaller projects, I’ve found. But, if it’s interesting, and I’m available, bring it on.

CCF: What’s your favorite movie?

MK: I’ll have to say “Raising Arizona.” It’s tough to pick one. But in my opinion the story’s great, loved the art direction, the casting is phenomenal, acting is pretty damn inspired, original and spot-on, and direction is flawless. After that one, I’d have to pick from one of the Wes Anderson films. And I don’t wanna do that.

To read more ranting, raving and interesting bits from Mary Kraft, check out her blog.

CCF, June 2006