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

"I am fascinated by people famous by association and what that does to a person."

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."

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Editor's Note: This conversation has been edited and condensed for publication.

So we've known each other for a long time, and it's been such a joy to see your success with Oh, Mary! How does it feel?

The best part of this show's success, for me, has been people coming up to me after the show, or emailing me or DMing me, how proud they are of me. People like you, or people that I performed with at Joe's Pub or came to my Duplex shows. These people that look at me like, "Oh my God, you did it." They're so happy for me in it, and it feels like I scored a goal for the home team. And I don't mean like the external success of the show. I mean they see the show and they're like, "I knew you had that in you." It's like, I'm proud of my picture, and I'm proud that everyone wants to put it on the fridge.

Yes, and just because I know you and have watched you over the years, in a weird way it makes me proud of myself for knowing you.

That could make me break down and sob right now because [I] feel like I've been carried by people. It just feels really nice, and it's overwhelming. I do look forward to disappearing back into the gay shadows of obscurity after this is over. I mean, go look at any press clip of me right now and there's hundreds of comments like, "Who the hell is that?" Like people just furious that I'm in their timeline.

I do see a lot of Amy Sedaris in you, whom you've collaborated with before. But there's this element of being famous but not wildly famous. And there's some strength and creative freedom in that.

I don't even want to be minutely known. I don't have the constitution for it. After I live this play's life out, I would like my next thing to be [writing] for other people.

What is this show about for people who can't make it to New York City to see it?

It's about Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham's assassination, and it's about her hopes and dreams of being a cabaret star. It's the first two episodes of the Mary Todd Lincoln sitcom.

You've said you did zero research into Mary Todd while writing. Can you explain just how you put it together?

Well, it's funny, I've mentioned in other things that I've done no research, and then I see people angry, "So you did no research, no work. And now you're being rewarded with this?" It's not actually about the Lincolns, this isn't a historical fact, historically accurate drama. It's a backdrop to tell the story that I wanted to tell. I didn't do research into the Lincolns because I didn't want to then just be injecting fat, boring facts into this play that I was excited about incorporating, that got in the way of the story.

And to me, that makes perfect sense. There is a stereotype, often true, of queer people loving and championing women of a certain age. Complicated and complex women. And Mary Todd Lincoln certainly fits that bill. She's kind of fierce.

I knew she would go on shopping sprees and was criticized for that, because they were at war. And during rehearsal, the director showed me this telegram that was from some museum exhibit. It was a telegram from someone to Abraham Lincoln saying, "Please come collect your wife, she's making a fool of herself at this party." It's about someone who everyone thinks is annoying. And I feel that everyone thinks I'm annoying. And I think everyone has that same feeling like, "Oh, God, everyone thinks I'm annoying and doesn't want to deal with me." And so my first goal is that it's funny and that people just laugh, but I also hope that part of why it's funny is because everyone sort of relates to feeling like I'm a terror to my loved ones.

I think as showy kids, we always had this quality of, am I being too extra? When do I rein it in? And Mary Todd Lincoln kind of gave off that vibe, too.

Absolutely. Before I knew what gay was, it was all about, "Okay, I'm being too much. Let me not talk and just sit and listen because everyone's looking at me like I puked everywhere." Even though all I did was sing a song.

What fascinates me about Mary Todd is that early in their marriage, she was the society princess, she was the famous one, and then when he became president that all shifted. Did that stand out to you?

I am fascinated by people famous by association and what that does to a person. I just like cultural tent poles that everybody knows but doesn't really know much about. Because then I can just fill in like it's a coloring book.

The most recent, and perhaps most famous, depiction of Mary Todd was Sally Field in Lincoln. What was it like when she came to the show to see your version of Mary Todd?

She came with Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, and they were so warm. They seemed to have such a fun nice time. I was just, I don't know, overwhelmed and relieved that they weren't offended.

Did you two get to talk about your individual performances?

We didn't get a chance to really connect that way. But someday we'll do a Variety roundtable please.

We previously spoke about our shared love of Amy Sedaris. I have to ask you, what is it about her work that you love so much?

She's just the funniest person alive. Period. And the warmest. No one has a better friend.

What are some things people could start with who are just discovering her?

I'm looking at her book on my shelf right now. I might start there. Strangers with Candy, her Letterman appearances.

I do have to ask you about attending the Met Gala. Your look was certainly my favorite. What was that like?

I was just uncomfortable but yeah. [laughs] I don't know, I sort of am like why did I go?

Did you go to any of the parties?

No. This play is the first thing I've ever had produced of my first work. So I am just putting my body in all these places, press-wise, and then doing the show, and then meetings, it's really dizzying. And I'm trying to enjoy it, but it is a wild peek into a completely different level and world of the entertainment industry. Do you know what I mean?

I do. It's like back in the day, we were used to the hustle, you do it all yourself. And suddenly you have some success and it just feels like an entirely different world.

It's also like, a lot of this attention is coming now because there's money involved. Money for other people who are taking a chance on me or placing a bet on this show. Because that's how commercial theater and capitalism works. So it's fascinating, because my voice is the same. I'm doing the same work that I've always been doing. But now because there's other people's money involved, I'm now going to these things, getting different kinds of press. It feels like I'm just on a ride right now. Like I'm on a carnival ride. I can also see how people get into these rooms and get on this ride and are like, "Okay, now how do I stay here?"

Well and that brings me back to Amy Sedaris. Because she has had success, but she's not chasing it. She's just always doing her. And I see that in you, too.

She doesn't think about it. She's not like, "I'm not going to be part of that world." She's just knows what she wants. She knows what she wants to do. She's like, "Oh, I don't want to be in California." She'll pick a job just because she'll be like, "Oh, that's a fun costume." Or like, "I'll do it if I get to wear these glasses."