“wait, how do you pronounce Marae?”
You know, this is my most FAQ. Thanks for asking! It’s pronounced “muh-RAY”. It rhymes with “beret”, “array”, and “hurray”.
My second most FAQ is “where is your name from?”. I’m named after my grandmother. My great grandmother just made the name up, so maybe that’s why I’m so creative. Marae is also a French name, a neighborhood in Paris, an eel commonly found in brackish water, and a sacred space for the Māori in New Zealand. Go figure.
Additionally, Marae can mean actress/writer/producer/bossy older sister. Born and raised in Greenville, SC, I have extensive directing experience (bossing my sisters around during our elaborate performances around the house). I forced them to love “Next to Normal” (of course I had to be Diana). All I’ve ever wanted is to be an actress and a writer. Well, except I also really enjoyed a school field trip to space camp when I was 10 years old and wanted to be an astronaut for a moment. Then, I found out that you can’t go to space if you have a pacemaker. I’ve had a pacemaker since I was 1 year old, so sadly I am stuck here on planet Earth. Thankfully, being an actress is just as exciting, terrifying, intellectual, noble, heroic, etc!
After graduating from College of Charleston with a B.A. in Theatre Performance (basically rocket science), I moved to Chicago to study improv and comedy writing. Seven years and many, many improv shows of varying quality later, I’m still here. In 2024, I began producing my own sketch comedy shows. I haven’t had this much creative control since all my little productions around the house with my sisters!
Outside of my artistic endeavors, I love reading aka listening to audio books (please tell me that counts!), living in a walkable community, and eating cookie dough. I am inspired by mindfulness, movement, bodies of water (especially the Atlantic Ocean), and cats in baby doll clothing.
I’ll leave you with some mantras I really do actually use…
I AM ENDLESSLY CREATIVE
I AM CONSTANTLY INSPIRED
I AM CONFIDENT THAT ONE DAY SPACE TRAVEL WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR ME
Below is my bio (because accomplishments just sound better when listed in the third person).
Marae Ashmore is an actress, writer, and producer originally from Greenville, SC. Her sketch comedy shows “Meditations for Imperfect People” and “White House Christmas” were both performed at the de Maat Theater at Second City in 2024. Marae’s other recent credits include the sketch comedy shows “Cut Babies” (Judy’s Beat Lounge), “Tech Yeah” (de Maat), and “Based on a True Story (Cornservatory). She has also performed improv with Lisa Bany and Dujuan Pritchett. Marae played Honey in the audiobook “Harry Moon: Wand, Paper, Scissors” and is featured on various radio spots around the country. Additionally, she played Martha in Anna Howerton’s 1940s drama “The Creek Don’t Rise” at the Den Theater. Marae lives in Chicago, IL.