A Flowergory Manifold about a flower who wants to be the center of the story.  

• Obie Award, 2010 for Taylor Mac (writer, performer, and co-director)

• Named Best Play of the Year (2010) by:  Time Out NY and Paper Magazine

• Named One of the Best Plays of the Year by:  The New York Times, The New York Post, TheatreMania.com, NYMetroMix.com, NYTheatre.com, OnOffBroadway.com

Excerpt:

LILY. No. If this is the story that happens I won’t let it be your story.  From now on it’s my story.  All mine.  End of story.  Exclamation point.  Fade to black.  Curtain falls.

BRIDE DEITY.  Lil-

LILY.  Applause.  Curtain rises.  Lights return.  Applause.  Applause.  Bow.  Bow.  Bow.  Curtain falls.  Applause Applause Applause.  Curtain Rises.  Standing O.  Flowers thrown.  For me.  A simple Lily.  Flowers?  You shouldn’t have.  Humility.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Hold flowers to your heart.  Point to a person you pretend to know.  Point to a person you pretend to know.  Thank You.  Thank You.  Applause.  Cheers.  Brava.   Hand to heart.  Hand to heart.  Applause.  Cheers.  Brava.  Curtain falls!

BRIDE DEITY.  Lily-

LILY.  Oh no you don’t.  Encore.  Encore.  Give us more.  Curtain Rises.  Bow.  Bow.  Bow.  Thunderous Applause.  Feet Stamp.  We demand more.  Hold up a hand.  Insist on their calm.  “No, give us more”, hold up a finger.  “If you insist, I’ll do one more”.  Gratitude.  Applause.  Calm.  Quiet.  Quiet.  Silence. A pin could drop but who would dare to drop it.  Encore.  Period.  End of story.  Curtain falls.

BRIDE DEITY.  Okay Lily-

LILY.  Riotous Roar.  Applause.  Applause.  Applause.  Curtain rises.  Nod head.  Hands full of flowers.  Nod head.  Wipe a tear.  Show them the tear on your finger.  Turn,  exit.  Curtain falls.

THE MARYS DEITY.  Is it done?

LILY.  Backstage crew cheering.  Supporting characters cheering. Old man Joe, who’s been pulling the Curtain for 80 years, since he was a little boy growing up in the depression working this theater so he could bring home a little money for his mother and sisters to eat.  Just a little.  Enough to buy a piece of bread and on Christmas a potato.  Ever since father died from the tuberculosis.  Old man Joe who has seen over thirty thousand performances in this theater, hardened and callused-hand Old Man Joe is weeping.  “Oh Lily, it was the greatest performance this theater has ever seen”, “Oh Joe, you don’t know what that means to me”.  Applause.  Applause.  Applause.  Walk backwards.  Thanking everyone.  Find the railing.  Descend the stairs.  Open the dressing room door.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Applause.  Applause.  Applause.  Gently close door.  Muffled sounds of excitement behind the door.  Sanctuary.  A moment to one’s self.  Exhale.  Put down the flowers.  Rest your limbs.  Sit in front of the makeup mirror.  Look at yourself.  Melancholy.  A deep sorrow.  Alone.  Did it happen and if so what does it all mean?  And who cares if you’re always alone.  A knock at the door.  Your agent.  “Oh darling you were magnificent”.  Fein humility.  Don’t be greedy.  Ask her about herself.  A knock at the door.  The producers.  “You were magnificent.  Lily I’d like you to meet insert famous person.”  “You were magnificent”.  “Thank you.  Thank you.  I loved your last picture.”  “Oh it was nothing to what you do.  A real star”.  “Thank you.  Thank you.”  “Darling your fans.  They await you.  Do not keep them waiting in the cold.”  “Yes you’re right”.  Fur coat.  Only a slip on underneath.  Pen in hand.  To the stage door.  Flash.  Flash.  Screams.  Someone faints.  Sign.  Sign.  Sign.  Underline the signature.  Period.  Exclamation point.  “We love you.  We love you.  We love you.”  

To the Groom Deity

LILY.  You’re not the only winner.  I am a winner too.  I am-

The Lily painfully uproots itself.  It takes a long time.  Green sap sprays. It wears high-heel roots and stumbles about the stage.

SHOW CREDITS FROM PREMIERE PRODUCTION AT HERE ARTS CENTER, NYC, 2009

WRITTEN by Taylor Mac

DRAMATURGE Nina Mankin

DIRECTORS Taylor Mac, Paul Zimet, Rachel Chavkin, Faye Driscoll, Aaron Rhyne, David Drake, and Kristin Marting

COMPOSER Rachelle Garniez

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Julia Funk

MUSICAL DIRECTION AND ARRANGEMENTS BY Matt Ray

COSTUMES BY Machine Dazzle

MAKEUP BY Derrick Little

SETS BY Nick Vaughn

LIGHTS BY Seth Reiser

PUPPETS BY Emily Decola

PART FOUR VIDEO BY Aaron Rhyne

PART ONE CHOREOGRAPHY BYJulie Atlas Muz

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Abrons Art Center

STARRING (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) Vanessa Anspaugh, Kayla Asbell, Jonathan Bastiani, Salty Brine, World Famous *BOB*, Heather Christian, Matthew Crosland, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Machine Dazzle, Mieke Duffly, James Tigger! Ferguson, Daphne Gaines*, Sashi Gollub, Ikuko Ikari, Barbara Lanciers, Kristine Lee, Miss Bianca Leigh, Taylor Mac, Ellen Maddow*, Glenn Marla, Muriel Miguel*, Una Aya Osato, Frank Paiva, Cyndi Perczek, Edith Raw, Kim Rosen, Tina Shepard*, Saeed Siamak, Phillip Taratula*, Rae C Wright*, Nikki Zialcita, Amelia Zirin-Brown

WITH ADDITIONAL FILMED PERFORMANCES BYCary Curran, Coleman Domingo, David Drake, Bridget Everett, Matt Fraser, Tracey Gilbert, Karen Hartman, Morgan Jenness, Karen Kohlhaas, Lisa Kron, Nina Mankin, Dirty Martini, Julie Atlas Muz, Our Lady J, Mandy Patinkin, James Scruggs, Lucy Thurber and voice over work by Justin Vivian Bond