Mary Collins Barile

Mary Collins Barile, Ph.D., is a theatre historian and author specializing in Missouri history, the Santa Fe Trail, and nineteenth-century acting. She earned her PhD in theater from the University of Missouri, teaches theater and public speaking, and has written multiple books including 'Merit, Not Sympathy, Wins: The Life and Times of Blind Boone' and 'Haunted Columbia, Missouri.' Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, she studied music and literature at Hofstra University.