A Legendary Love

RENÉE TAYLOR PREMIERES THE GREATEST STORY OF HER LIFE — HER OWN — IN DYING IS NO EXCUSE

By Dr. Joshua Sherman

Renée Taylor & husband Joe Bologna in It Had to be You (1989)

The legendary Renée Taylor brings her heart and humor to the Berkshires with the world premiere of her new play, Dying Is No Excuse. Directed by Taylor’s frequent collaborator and close friend, Elaine May, it will premiere at Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge and run from August 7–30. Written and performed by Taylor herself, the production is a deeply personal, dark, and funny journey through the Emmy® winner’s extraordinary life and love story with her late husband and longtime creative partner, Joseph Bologna. With previews on August 7 and 8 and an official opening on August 9, Dying Is No Excuse is more than a memoir; it is a testament to enduring love, creativity, and the healing power of laughter. 

Although Taylor might be best known for her role as the hilarious Sylvia Fine on The Nanny, her legacy extends far beyond that iconic character. From her early days performing in New York’s Bon Soir nightclub (where her opening act was a young Barbra Streisand), to co-writing the Oscar®-nominated film Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), Taylor’s multi-decade career spans film, television, theater, and literature. She collaborated on numerous projects with Bologna during their time together, including Made for Each Other (1971) and My Life on a Diet (2018), a hit Off-Broadway memoir that toured the country. Her rich comedic style—equal parts sharp, soulful, and subversive—finds a welcome, new expressive outlet through this play. 

“I thought I was just going to share our love story like Joe told me to,” Taylor says, reflecting on the process of writing Dying Is No Excuse. “But it was much more. I learned more about him. It was a wonderful, cathartic experience writing it.” 

The act of writing for Taylor has always been both sacred and improvisational. To that end, Dying Is No Excuse emerged almost instinctively. “I just sat down and wrote it,” shares Taylor. Unlike many writers who agonize over structure, Taylor’s decades of storytelling on stage and screen have gifted her with an intuitive sense of rhythm and emotional arc. The result is a work that flows with the rawness and clarity of memory, sculpted by the hand of a master comedian who knows how to turn pain into punchlines and joy into lasting meaning. Taylor doesn’t just recall moments—she inhabits them. 

From her first whirlwind encounter with Joseph Bologna in 1965 to their infamous televised wedding on The Merv Griffin Show just three and a half months later, she brings each scene to life with the warmth and sparkle of a woman who lived it all fully and unapologetically. Their love story unfolds in vivid vignettes, flirtations, and fights, all rendered with remarkable clarity and candor. 

Director Elaine May was very quiet at first when Taylor read Dying Is No Excuse for her. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, she hates it,’” Taylor says. But May didn’t hate it. Quite the opposite. “She said, ‘I think it’s perfect. I want to direct it.’” Through Taylor’s exposition and May’s direction, a narrative takes shape where it becomes clear that Taylor and Bologna were far more than life partners; they were artistic soulmates who co-wrote, co-starred, and co-created across stage and screen. 

This artistic partnership caught fire with their celebrated 1970 film, Lovers and Other Strangers. Adapted from their play, it garnered them an Academy Award® nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It was a major Hollywood moment for the couple, whose work consistently danced between humor and poignant pathos. Their screenplay for Made for Each Other followed in 1971, with both co-starring in the film. It was a semi-autobiographical romantic comedy, further solidifying their unique comedic chemistry and deep bond. 

Their collaborations spanned decades, from feature films to stage productions, including It Had to Be You (1989) and If You Ever Leave Me...I'm Going With You! (2001), a two-person show that explored the ups and downs of their marriage with disarming honesty and biting humor. In Dying Is No Excuse, Taylor revisits some of those moments, as well as the ones that never made it to the stage or screen. These escapades, outrageous and romantic in equal measure, are delivered with the comic cadence of a seasoned performer and the longing of a woman still deeply in love. 

The play promises to serve as both a celebration and a heartfelt elegy—a tribute to Bologna’s generous spirit and an exploration of Taylor’s own resilience in the face of loss. Their final moments together, shared in the show with stark and aching clarity, are underscored by Bologna’s quiet wisdom, as well as Taylor’s need to keep moving forward. Throughout Dying Is No Excuse, Taylor’s gift lies not only in her comedic punchlines, but also in her ability to bring weight and wonder to even the most fleeting moments. The emotional gravity of these moments makes this a deeply personal performance—as well as a physically demanding one. “I have to figure out a way to do it that I’m not emotionally drained,” admits Taylor. “But people really connect to it—people of all ages. It’s true. It’s real.” For Taylor, it’s not only a tribute to Joe, but a love letter to the resilience of the human heart. 

Taylor, Fran Drescher, & Drescher’s mother (courtesy of Renée Taylor, 2)

As she prepares for her Berkshire return, Taylor is poised to bring not only a treasure trove of remarkable stories, but also a spirit of enduring love that refuses to fade with time. At 92 years old, she is still lighting up stages and sharing her truth with a glow undiminished by grief or emotional weight. “Fame comes and goes,” shares Taylor. “What matters is what stays with people after the lights go out.”

Dying Is No Excuse runs August 7–30 at Berkshire Theatre Group's Unicorn 

Theatre in Stockbridge. 

berkshiretheatregroup.org