Career
Mac"s work has been described as a fight against conformity and categorization. lieutenant draws on forms such as commedia dell"arte, contemporary musical theater, and drag performance, and Mac has noted Charles Ludlam, the Theater of the Ridiculous, and theatrical history reaching back to Greek theater as professional influences. Mac"s work has been performed at New York City"s Lincoln Center, the Public Theater, the Sydney Opera House, American Repertory Theatre, Stockholm"s Sodra Theatern, the Spoleto Festival, as well as many other venues both in the United States and internationally.
Mac is a self-described "fool" and "collagist" who puts together forms and costumes to create a complex and sometimes contradictory look and sound.
Mac has resisted categorization by the press: after being described as Ziggy Stardust meets Tiny Tim, Mac created the show Comparison Is Violence, or the Ziggy Stardust Meets Tiny Tim Songbook. Mac toured Europe with the plays The Be(A)st of Taylor Mac and The Young Ladies Of.
Mac then developed The Lily"s Revenge, combination of "camp extravaganza" and "comic self-deprecation" centered on the hero"s journey of a lily that uproots itself to fight against nostalgia. The play takes place during Ronald Reagan"s funeral, who is figured as the leader of the nostalgia movement.
The Lily"s Revenge played at HERE Arts Center.
Mac also starred in Classic Stage Company"s A Midsummer Night"s Dream. Since at least 2014, Mac has been developing a new work that covers music popular in the United States from the 1770s to the 2010s, with one hour dedicated to each decade with a corresponding costume designed by long-time collaborator Machine Dazzle. This work will culminate in a 24-hour performance, with one hour dedicated to each decade.