Hall, Mara N.: - There's more to Mara Hall than meets the eye. A multi-faceted actress, musician, teacher, writer and producer, some may even describe the Detroit native as a modern day renaissance woman.Mara began her career by first traveling down the path of music and eventually sharing her passion and skills by becoming a teacher. A band director in Middle School and High School, she attended Jackson State University and quickly joined their famed marching band known as the "Sonic Boom of the South", where she played the tuba and her specialty, the clarinet. After receiving her Bachelor's degree in Music Education at JSU, Mara went on to be an assistant band director at Alcorn State University. Her talents on clarinet earned her a scholarship to the University Of Cincinnati College Conservatory Of Music, where she ultimately was awarded a Master of Music degree in Clarinet Performance. She has also completed two years towards her Doctoral Degree in Clarinet Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi.After her many musical accomplishments, Mara found her niche when she began teaching music in the Detroit Public School system. Her infectious personality and charismatic approach to teaching made her a student favorite but in 2006 she was left devastated after statewide budget cuts forced the elimination of her job. Taking up a friend's recommendation, Mara gave acting a try and soon found a new passion. It only took a few community plays and musicals before Mara was hooked. She soon decided to pack her bags in her Ford Focus and make the three day trek to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time.Her first big break came when she landed a spot on the Oxygen Network's reality dance/weight loss competition series, Dance Your Ass Off. Since then she has landed roles on a number of productions including hit tv shows such as Grey's Anatomy, The Quad, Saints & Sinners, The Resident and Scandal among others. More recently, Mara joined the cast of the Oprah Winfrey Network's hit nighttime drama, Ambitions, as a series regular, playing the role of Darcia Lancaster.In addition to acting, Mara has been flexed her writer/producer chops by developing a short film called Juicy Ladies that was selected for the Langston Hughes Black Film Festival and will made its television debut on Aspire TV. Outside of entertainment, Mara is an adamant spokesperson for Diabetes Awareness. Having herself been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and losing her brother to the diseas