Cole Escola

T’S RARE FOR A PLAY TO BECOME SUCH A CULT hit that it moves from downtown to Broadway, but that’s what’s happening with Cole Escola’s For Escola, previously known for You-Tube sketches and collaborations with Amy Sedaris, “it feels like I scored a is an absurd comedic send up on Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham’s assassination. “It’s about her hopes and dreams of being a cabaret star. It’s essentially a sitcom.” The show has made Escola a bona fide star—they recently attended the Met Gala—something that doesn’t sit well with the young playwright and actor, saying that “I don’t even want to be minutely known. I don’t have the constitution for it.” And that’s partly because this is all new to them. “This play is the first thing I’ve ever had produced of my first work. I’m trying to enjoy it.” Considering will run on Broadway until September, Escola’s got a few months of notoriety to contend with. “I do look forward to disappearing back into the gay shadows of obscurity after this is over.”