“Oh, Mary!”

[Donna McCreary]

Here is an over view of the plot:

"The show is a comedic spoof of the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. The show is set in the days leading up to Lincoln's assassination, which occurred while he and Mary were watching Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre. The show portrays Mary as someone who longs to live a life away from politics and be a vaudeville performer, while Lincoln uses her as a beard to hide his sexuality, and is often away from home dealing with the issues of the Civil War, leaving her alone in the White House."

Obviously, the show offers no historical content. In several interviews, the author has stated that he did no historical research. He bascially had a "what if" thought about how perhaps Mary's life was not destroyed by her husband's murder. The author plays the title character and states that the character is more about him than anyone else. The saddest part of this production is that the artwork used outside of the theatre projects a "serious" theme. Theatre goers who purchase tickets are often lead to belief they are going to a serious play about the Lincolns. Those audience members are disappointed and often leave before the final curtain.
However, those who know this is a farce often enjoy the show.
The play has been nominated and won several awards.