Cole Escola's 'Oh, Mary' Has Finally Made Mary Todd Lincoln a Star

The Parting Shot with H. Alan Scott

It's rare for a piece of theater to become such a cult hit that it moves from downtown to Broadway, but that's exactly what's happening with Cole Escola's ‘Oh, Mary!’ For Escola, who previously was best known for their YouTube sketches and collaborations with Amy Sedaris, "it feels like I scored a goal for the home team." Oh, Mary! is an absurd comedic send up on Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham's assassination. "It's about her hopes and dreams of being a cabaret star. It's a very stupid comedy. It's essentially a sitcom." The show has made Escola a bona fide star—they recently attended the Met Gala—something that doesn't sit well with the young playwright and actor, saying that "I don't even want to be minutely known. I don't have the constitution for it." And that's partly because this is all new to them. "This play is the first thing I've ever had produced of my first work. I'm trying to enjoy it, but it is a wild peek into a completely different level and world of the entertainment industry." Considering Oh, Mary! will run on Broadway until September, Escola's got a few months of notoriety to contend with. "I do look forward to disappearing back into the gay shadows of obscurity after this is over."

Read full chat in the latest issue of Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/2024/06/28/cole-escolas-oh-mary-has-finally-made-mary-todd-lincoln-star-1910985.html

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