Oh, Mary!

A DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE TITLE

Oh, Mary!

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  5 any gender (adult)

Mary Todd Lincoln is tired of Washington, DC. The nation’s capital is so boring; she would much rather be onstage, where she belongs. A riotous, campy, outrageous comedy that dares to ask: What won’t Mary Todd Lincoln do to be a star?

Image: 2024 Broadway Production (Emilio Madrid)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5 any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period, Parody/Spoof
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! Two 2025 Tony Awards, including Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (Cole Escola)
    Finalist: 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
    Nominee: Five 2025 Tony Awards, including Best Play
    Winner! 2025 Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Play
    Winner! 2025 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Broadway Production
    Winner! 2025 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Special Citation
    Winner! 2024 John Gassner Award for Best New American Play

Oh, Mary!

Details

Summary

Mary Todd Lincoln is tired of Washington, DC. The nation’s capital is so boring; she would much rather be onstage, where she belongs, starring in a cabaret. And if she can’t do that, she might as well drink. Or push her chaperone down the stairs. Or drink. The entire White House is fed up with Mary’s antics, most of all her bore of a husband, who can’t focus on anything except his silly Civil War. To get her out of his hair, Abe hires a handsome, up-and-coming actor to give Mary acting lessons, hoping to keep her busy and out of trouble, but the distraction ends up working a little too well. A riotous, campy, outrageous comedy that dares to ask: What won’t Mary Todd Lincoln do to be a star? A 2025 Tony Award nominee for Best Play and a 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, Cole Escola’s riotous comedy brings a fabulous First Lady into the light. 

History

Oh, Mary! first premiered off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in January 2024. It then transferred to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre, opening on 11 July 2024. Directed by Sam Pinkleton, both productions starred author Cole Escola as Mary Todd Lincoln – who would go on to win the 2025 Tony Award for Best Actor for their portrayal – alongside Conrad Ricamora, Bianca Leigh, Tony Macht and James Scully with understudies Peter Smith and Hannah Solow.

Cast Attributes

MARY TODD LINCOLN
MARY’S HUSBAND (ABRAHAM)
MARY’S CHAPERONE (LOUISE, also plays BILL)
MARY’S HUSBAND’S ASSISTANT (SIMON, also plays KYLE)
MARY’S TEACHER (JOHN)

  • Time Period 19th Century
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No Intermission, Physical Comedy
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“One of the best crafted Broadway comedies in years.” – The New York Times

Oh, Mary! is not just funny: It is dizzyingly, breathtakingly funny, the kind of funny that ambushes your body into uncontained laughter… An instant classic.” – Time Out New York

Oh, Mary! is hilarious and, underneath the mayhem, both structurally rock solid and sneakily moving.” – New York Magazine

Videos

  • Cole Escola on the hit Broadway farce Oh, Mary! – CBS Sunday Morning youtube thumbnail

    Cole Escola on the hit Broadway farce Oh, Mary! – CBS Sunday Morning

  • Cole Escola’s Oh, Mary! transfers to Broadway – Spectrum News youtube thumbnail

    Cole Escola’s Oh, Mary! transfers to Broadway – Spectrum News

Photos

  • Oh, Mary!

    Image: 2024 Broadway Production (Emilio Madrid)

  • Oh, Mary!

    Image: 2024 Broadway Production (Emilio Madrid)

  • Oh, Mary!

    Image: 2024 Broadway Production (Emilio Madrid)

  • Oh, Mary!

    Image: 2024 Broadway Production (Emilio Madrid)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Cole Escola

Cole Escola is a comedian, an actor, and a writer. They made their Broadway debut as the writer and the star of the acclaimed comedy Oh, Mary!, receiving a Drama Desk Award, a Theatre World Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, and an Obie Award for their performance as Mar ...
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