Cole Escola

Cole Escola is a queer comedian, writer, and performer who has been openly queer throughout their career, building a devoted following through a blend of absurdist humor, camp drag, and deeply personal theatrical work. They first gained a following with the Logo series "Jeffrey & Cole Casserole" (2009) before earning wider recognition in "Difficult People" (2015–2017) and "At Home With Amy Sedaris." Escola became a fixture of New York's downtown queer cabaret scene, developing a persona that draws on Old Hollywood glamour and tragicomic self-revelation. That persona crystallized into their Broadway debut "Oh, Mary!" (2024) — a comedy Escola wrote and starred in, playing a put-upon Mary Todd Lincoln with savage wit. The show became a sensation, extending its run multiple times and earning Escola a Tony Award nomination, cementing their status as one of the most original queer theatrical voices of their generation. Their work consistently blurs the line between autobiography and performance, exploring desire, loneliness, and the absurdity of identity with warmth and ferocity.