Cole Escola becomes Mary Todd Lincoln in their new dark comedy Oh, Mary!, officially opening its run Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre February 8 after beginning previews January 26. The eight-week limited engagement continues through March 24.
Also in the cast are Conrad Ricamora as Mary's Husband, James Scully as Mary's Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary's Chaperone, and Tony Macht as Mary's Husband's Assistant. Hannah Solow and Peter Smith round out the company.
Escola, press notes state, stars as "a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires abound in this one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot (Cole Escola)."
Escola's screenwriting credits include At Home With Amy Sedaris and The Other Two, and they've appeared as an actor in Difficult People, Mozart in the Jungle, At Home With Amy Sedaris, and Big Mouth, among others. They released a comedy special on YouTube titled Help! I'm Stuck With Cole Escola in 2021, and an homage to '70s westerns Our Home Out West in November.
Sam Pinkleton is directing the production, which features scenic design by dots, costume design by Holly Pierson, lighting design by Cha See, sound design by Daniel Kluger and Drew Levy, wig design by Leah J. Loukas, original music by Kluger, and arrangements by David Dabbon. Bryan Bauer is production stage manager, and Ryan Kane is the assistant stage manager. Casting is by Henry Russell Bergstein. Gowns for Escola are by Astor Yang.
Oh, Mary! is produced by Kevin McCollum and Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie and Carlee Briglia by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Visit OhMaryPlay.com.