How am I laughing so uncontrollably at a play about Mary Todd Lincoln?Yes, Abraham Lincoln’s wife is the subject of this riotous new comedy at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, written by and starring Cole Escola, that definitely does not aim to teach your anything or challenge your brain cells.
Rather, the campy “Oh, Mary!” is too busy daring your lungs to stay full of air for more than a few seconds. One hour and 15 minutes with no intermission.
At the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher Street. Through March 24.Like the Confederacy, your lungs lose.How has the talented playwright and performer wrung so many jokes out of a complex Civil War-era first lady whose husband was assassinated and whose disposition was hardly known for being pleasant?Unbridled irreverence and unwavering commitment.Raunchiness, killer punchlines and devil-may-care historical inaccuracy abound throughout the 75-minute sprint.
If any audience member wonders, “did that event really happen?,” 99% of the time the answer is “no.” The only certainties here are that Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln existed and that the Union prevailed.
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