NEW YORK, NY — A “Jeopardy!” episode that aired Monday featured a category called “Oh, Mary!” — prompting a wave of online reaction due to its perceived connection to the Broadway play Oh, Mary!, where comedian Cole Escola plays a fictionalized version of Mary Todd Lincoln.
The April 14 episode, part of Season 41 and listed as Game 136, featured categories including “It Ends With ‘Us’,” “Classic Novels,” and “Oh, Mary!,” according to a recap on The Jeopardy! Fan.
Escola appeared in character to present clues to contestants.
Key Points
- The “Oh, Mary!” category likely references Cole Escola’s Broadway play, not a trans narrative.
- Escola, a nonbinary performer, portrays a fictionalized Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary!
Escola’s performance in Oh, Mary! reimagines Lincoln’s widow as a theatrical, cabaret-aspiring alcoholic in a campy satire set before the president’s assassination.
The play, currently running on Broadway, takes deliberate liberties with history, and Escola has said the character was based on personal experience rather than research.
“Less than no research,” Escola told interviewers, when asked about preparation.
Though Escola identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, reviews of the play and available materials make no claim that Mary Todd Lincoln is portrayed as transgender.
Instead, the role is characterized by absurdity and theatrical excess, aligning with the play’s queer humor and over-the-top tone.