Despite increasing opportunities in other entertainment media, most of Mary Boylan’s time was spent in New York City’s theater scene, where a rejection of Broadway’s commercialism was attractive to those deeply interested in art for the sake of art itself. Already there was an established Off-Broadway scene, but this was shunned as well. The year 1958 is cited as the birth of Off-Off-Broadway at a place in Greenwich Village known as Caffe Cino, where a plaque today honors the site’s significance. Among the established and most popular regulars there from the start was Mary Boylan, with Al Pacino listed as one of many of the café’s early performers.

True to the Village’s bohemian reputation, the café’s actors received no pay directly. Patrons normally bought a coffee and sandwich, and a basket was passed as compensation for the performers. Caffe Cino’s popularity inspired similar efforts nearby in other café settings, like La Mama, and in churches, bars, and any available spaces, lending to the wild and carefree attitude of the Village. Mary was considered a star performer at both café venues (Cino and La Mama). She looked much older than her actual age, leading to many roles as elderly citizens, but in real life was a smiling, energetic personality with a great sense of humor and a ready laugh. » Continue Reading.