About Mara

Access Measurements

Mara Jill Herman is a performer, award-winning producer, and talent sourcer in the performing arts and Jewish world. Through musicals, plays, live events, and short films, she connects people to each other and big ideas to foster change in our community.

“I view theater as a change agent, an interactive experience between artists and audiences that teaches us to laugh, heal, and grow. In its greatest form, theater leaves a lasting impact and breeds a culture of empaths.”

Mara’s favorite productions include Lucky Stiff (Annabel), Rent (Maureen), Guys and Dolls (Adelaide), Baby (Lizzie), On The Town (Hildy), and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Maria).  She was nominated for BroadwayWorld Houston’s Best Supporting Performer in a Musical for her portrayal as Fruma-Sarah in Fiddler on the Roof. International Tours include Disney On Classic (Mother Gothel) and Jesus Christ Superstar. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in We Are Here: Songs From The Holocaust with solo appearances at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 54 Below, The Green Room 42, and Chelsea Table & Stage. Developmental highlights include The Band’s Visit, Sam’s Room, and The Bubble. Mara is featured on the demo for Talk of the Town and the concept album How To Repair A Mechanical Heart. Possible place to include a few writers names: Other collaborators include Anna K. Jacobs, Zoe Sarnak, Adam Mathias, Benjamin Velez, Louis St. Louis, Matt Vinson and Matte O’Brien.

Mara expanded into producing at the intersection of the arts and activism. Benefit concerts conceived, directed, and produced include Stronger Than Hate: A Benefit for Tree of Life Synagogue, Changemakers: A Celebration of Women and StateraArts, and Ruth Sent Us: A Benefit for Reproductive Justice. Mara produced the first production of Pink Pancake’s Today You Are A Man! at The Tank. She was the Associate Producer on Matthew LaBanca’s Communion (the cell) and produced the first sold out run of S. Dylan Zwickel’s The Moss Maidens (SheNYC Festival). The production won Best Ensemble and Best Play and made history with two extensions (a first in the festival’s eight-year existence). She is a Consulting Producer on the short films Malka and Jewface.

In the events world, Mara produced the Jewish Writers Mifgash, the inaugural conference for The Artists Against Antisemitism. Additional event strategy and execution includes Museum of the Moving Image (Technotherapy NYC) ART/New York (Parent Artist Advocacy League) The Jewish Center (Jewish Voters Unite), The Museum of Jewish Heritage and Greek Jewish Festival (Simchat Torah Challenge).

Mara’s Talent Sourcing work bridges the gap between candidates and companies. She uses her keen attention to detail to identify problems, build customized talent pipelines, and execute the sourcing process from end to end. Throughout her career she has researched, recruited, and hired talent for 25 clients including corporate and startups, Jewish non-profits, and performing, literary and educational arts organizations. Some of Mara’s clients include Apple, Forbes, YoungArts, and Jewish Voters Unite. She is currently the Talent Sourcing Director for Oakdale Entertainment.

Mara received NYFA’s City Artist Corps Grant and YoungArts’ Creative Grant for generating original work. She was featured on CBS Mornings with the Queens Theatre Senior Ensemble for Storytelling and Devised Theatre work. She remains an active Teaching Artist for New York Theatre Workshop.

Mara’s community organizing work includes Be An Arts Hero, Flip The Vote, Knock For Democracy, and the Alex Bores campaign. An environmental advocate, Mara spearheaded an eco-friendly alternative to the Actors’ Equity Association plastic cards sent out bi-annually to 51,000 members. She presented the Digital Membership motion at the Eastern Regional Membership meeting, which resulted in the creation of a digital card option now in use. She is a frequent deputy for stage productions and a new member of AEA’s Principal Committee.

Passionate about gender parity, she is a founding member of StateraArts Mentorship and on the Advisory Board of Her Story Mentorship. She received the Young Alumni Service Award from her alma mater University of the Arts and resides in Manhattan, New York.