MaryBeth Wise is a multifaceted individual with a career spanning across three distinct professions: acting, narration, and librarianship. She began her journey in the world of audiobooks, narrating over 85 titles for the National Library Service (NLS) in a wide range of genres, including biographies, historical fiction, thrillers, suspense, adventure, essays, short stories, young adult books, and classics.
Some of her favorite titles include Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, Donna Tartt's The Little Friend, and D.H. Lawrence's Women in Love, all of which showcased her impressive versatility as a narrator. Nonfiction favorites include God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe and Everglades: River of Grass by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, which required meticulous research on pronunciations.
As an actor, MaryBeth has had the privilege of performing on numerous stages across the DC-area, including Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth, Olney Theatre, Round House Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre, Ford's Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and the Folger Theatre. She has also toured nationally and internationally with the National Players and the USIA. Her impressive repertoire includes a Helen Hayes Award nomination for her portrayal of Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker at Olney Theatre, as well as standout roles such as Vita in Vita and Virginia at Rep Stage, Agnetha in Frozen at Studio Theatre, and Mary in How to Write a New Book for the Bible at Round House Theatre.
MaryBeth's academic background includes undergraduate studies in theatre and literature, as well as an MFA in acting and an MLIS from the Catholic University of America. Although she is no longer affiliated with the NLS Media Lab, her work can still be accessed through the online catalog and on BARD.
