'What I was looking for'

Being cast in a SUNY Adirondack Theater Club production of “Ride the Cyclone” led Mary Pilot to a set change.

“Being onstage again and having so much fun with people who share similar interests made me realize I’m so much happier doing that than anything else,” said Pilot, who started at the college as a Psychology major, then switched to Broadcast Media Production after rediscovering her love of performance.

After being cast in a leading role — the first production after the Theater Club regrouped in 2024 — Mary knew she had to follow her heart.

The Hoosick Falls native grew up loving all things theatrical and wanting to make and star in movies. “I gave up those dreams because everyone said they weren’t realistic,” she admitted. “I loved forensic psychology, but the more I was studying and thinking about it, I realized I wasn’t happy and decided I should follow my dreams.”

She will graduate in May, but plans to return in the fall semester to retake a Digital Cinema Production class she enjoyed and from which she learned a lot. “Having guidelines and projects and equipment is really good to build my portfolio, so I’m doing it to get more experience.”

This semester, Mary is putting the skills she learned in Broadcast Media Production classes to  serve as director of the Theater Club production of “The Addams Family Musical.”

“We learn all about audio, how to mix and record, and lighting, film, and I’ve been able to take my skills to make promos and, in the theater, I can mix the audio for mikes and do the lighting — a lot of the tech skills transfer to theater.”

That will help Mary fulfill her dreams of being a filmmaker. She has a small production company and is working on three scripts she plans to make into movies.

“SUNY Adirondack was what I was looking for,” she said. “This has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

SUNY Adirondack Theater Club presents “The Addams Family Musical” at 6 p.m. Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, in the college theater in Adirondack Hall. Tickets are free for students; $10 for faculty and staff; and $20 for the general public. They are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Student Life Office, in the Student Center.)