@ohmaryplay
Instagram · Speaker address
@ohmaryplay BOW, MARY! begins Tuesday.
@ohmaryplay
Instagram · Speaker address
@ohmaryplay BOW, MARY! begins Tuesday.
Performance
Video #42329 · Speaker address
[01]
Bowen Yang delivers a monologue from a rehearsal space, recounting his immediate and powerful positive reaction to a play. He defends the validity of such gut feelings against the concept of 'recency bias' by comparing it to his love for Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' album. He then reveals this is exactly how he felt about the play 'Oh, Mary!', discusses his role in it, and humorously questions when the 'new play' will simply be considered 'a play', before the video concludes with a promotional poster.
[02]
[03]
[04]
[05]
What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds
Title hook · 15%
IN REHEARSAL WITH BOWEN YANG
Verbal hook · 35%
I remember getting up out of my seat and, like, turning to my friends and being, like, I think that's my favorite play ever.
Visual hook · 50%
A man (Bowen Yang) is sitting on a couch, but his lower body is encased in a massive, black, ruffled ball gown skirt, creating an immediate and surreal visual contrast that sparks curiosity.
[07]
The promise the opener makes, and how the video pays it back
Hook
Begins with a highly relatable, specific anecdote of an immediate, powerful emotional response to the subject, drawing the viewer into a personal moment.
Payoff
Delivers a final, witty meta-question about the subject's status or perception, which functions as a thought-provoking hook and an indirect call to action, leaving the audience intrigued.
[08]
The structural pattern this video runs on
Framework
The Credible Enthusiast Monologue
To promote a subject by framing a strong personal endorsement as a well-reasoned, authoritative judgment, moving from a visceral personal reaction to an intellectual defense, and concluding with a witty, promotional hook.
The Absolute Declaration
Makes a bold, superlative claim about the subject ('the best ever,' 'my favorite') to establish a strong initial position.
The Preemptive Defense
Anticipates and invalidates a common criticism or counter-argument (e.g., 'recency bias'), demonstrating self-awareness and intellectual rigor.
The Analogical Proof
Uses a well-known, respected parallel example from a different domain to prove the validity of their judgment and establish their credibility as a discerning critic.
The Thesis Re-Center
Explicitly connects the feelings and logic from the analogy back to the primary subject, solidifying the initial bold claim.
The Role Clarification
Shifts perspective to define their own specific, often humble, role or relationship to the subject, adding a layer of personal investment and context.
BOW, MARY! begins Tuesday.
title · beginning
IN REHEARSAL WITH BOWEN YANG
contextual · beginning
I REMEMBER GETTING UP OUT OF MY SEAT
contextual · beginning
AND, LIKE, TURNING TO MY FRIENDS AND BEING LIKE
contextual · beginning
I THINK THAT'S MY FAVORITE PLAY EVER
contextual · beginning
I KNOW ABOUT RECENCY BIAS
contextual · middle
THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FELT ABOUT OH, MARY!
informational · end
BEGINNING SEPT 15 BOWEN YANG IS MARY TODD LINCOLN "OH, MARY!" A NEW PLAY BY COLE ESCOLA ENTIRE PRODUCTION DIRECTED BY SAM PINKLETON
contextual · end
WHEN DO WE GET TO CALL IT... JUST A PLAY?
Remember getting up out of my seat and, like, turning to my friends and being, like, I think that's my favorite play better. And I know I know about recency bias. I'm susceptible to it the way that everybody is. This is what I said about Beyonce Renaissance. Everyone was, like, all the gays worse, like, how how does this rank among Beyonce albums? I was like, I think this is my favorite. But they better like, well, no enough time has passed. But I'm like, I have a good sense of these things. When something hits me in the moment, I know I can extrapolate the impact in the future. That's exactly how I felt about O'Meary. And the fact that 10 people have done it best on Broadway, I feel like we've all had a really, really different imprimatur on it. I'm here just to basically meld all those together. I've never been known to be an original and I'm certainly not starting now. Oh, Mary, which is still being billed as a new play and I wonder when the deadline is on that. When do we have to call it best play?