Mary Ryan Brown: Gifted & Damaged
Were you a gifted kid? Are you now a burnt-out adult? Mississippi-based writer and comedian Mary Ryan Brown explores the curse of the gifted through her own lyrical and jaded lens. Autobiographical, observational, and absurd, 'Gifted and Damaged' will leave you feeling seen, heard, and, most importantly, just as special as you did when you were first placed in the gifted enrichment class.
About Mary Ryan Brown:
A singular, delightfully idiosyncratic voice in the world of comedy, Mary Ryan Brown is a wife, mother, writer, and comedian who leaves no moment unexamined. Born, raised, and still residing in Mississippi, Mary Ryan both mocks and participates in the cultural carnival of the Deep South. She loves to establish patterns, then disturb them. Tell stories, then revise them in real time. Oh–and talk about the Muppets, motherhood, and the endless sex appeal of Simon Cowell.
After giving birth to her daughter in 2021, Mary Ryan began hand transcribing Netflix comedy specials while breastfeeding her colicky child and wading through the muck of postpartum depression. In July of 2022, when the fog of infancy began to clear, Mary Ryan and her husband started attending open mic comedy at a local brewery in their hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Mary Ryan was mesmerized by live standup. Hooked. Terrified. She wrote and performed a four-minute set, then the rest was history. In the first year of her unlikely comedy career, Mary Ryan opened for comedian Ryan Hamilton (whose Netflix special Happy Face received critical acclaim), performed an original hour at her own show at Dallas Comedy Club, opened for New Orleans comedy legend Mark Caesar, and more.
In addition to performing, Mary Ryan leverages a master’s degree in creative writing and over a decade of experience in the branding and marketing worlds to consult on and write for creative agencies and their clients. She has written for organizations like NASCAR, Nike, NBA 2K, and several regional corporations and small businesses. Ironically, she is still trying to figure out her own personal brand. Raunchy but brainy? Brainy but raunchy? Suburban mom who curses, but in a cute way? Mary Ryan contains multitudes. She's a personality hoarder.
Writing and performing comedy is changing Mary Ryan’s life for the better. Her ultimate hope? That her unique voice will give others permission to cultivate their own.
