Oh Mary!

Oh Mary! at Connor Palace Theatre

If you like your theatre sharp, shameless and a little bit dangerous, pay attention. On Sunday, April 4, Connor Palace Theatre hosts Oh, Mary!, an off-kilter take on the weeks before Abraham Lincoln's assassination.

It turns a familiar name into a live-wire comic event. You do not need a history degree, just a sense of humor and a willingness to be surprised. Cole Escola's play earned Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor in a Play and Best Direction of a Play. That recognition makes the evening feel sharper before the curtain even rises. Comedy plays best with a room full of people. The laughs build, the jokes hit harder and the audience becomes part of the show.

At just 80 minutes, the play does not linger. It comes in fast, lands its point and keeps moving, which is what you want from a night when the goal is to feel something immediate and surprising. Connor Palace is one of Playhouse Square's historic downtown theatres, with the scale and atmosphere to make a big production feel like an occasion. A Sunday date makes it a relaxed way to end the weekend. It lands in the final stretch of the run. Two performances are scheduled for this date, so you can pick the one that suits your day. Make it a night out that does not feel like homework. Get Oh, Mary! tickets for Sunday, April 4 and choose your performance.