By Nathan Pugh
Lightning, a high-pitched scream, and blackout jar audiences into the world of Travesty, Sasha Velour’s latest theatrical venture, now playing at Washington, D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Donning her signature bald head and red lips, the RuPaul’s Drag Race winner is the production’s writer, director, and star. She’s also its archivist, filmmaker, and historical avatar. This might be too many wigs to wear, no matter the star quality.
In voiceover, Velour later shares, “The ruin you see before you was once a beautiful theater, known as ‘The Travesty.’ ” This allegorical space was a home for queer artists across centuries, in which Velour embodies burlesque performers, medieval dancers, and beyond (while lip-syncing to a range of pop songs from Halsey to Björk).
A singular vision leaves little room for community
From a design perspective, Travesty is fabulous. Cosette “Ettie” Pin’s scenic, lighting, and projection design plays with scale (including a giant lip-syncing head of Velour) and haunting imagery, such as a police raid of a gay bar that turns into a riot. Still, Travesty’s expensive-looking production feels incongruous with the D.I.Y. performance history being staged, in which past drag queens often made the biggest impact with few resources.
That visual ambition, though, doesn’t always translate to the performance. Velour rarely speaks directly to the audience. This choice can work: one scene showcases Velour’s exceptional, mime-like physical comedy. But when the character Seduction arrives (played by a rotating lineup of local guest artists), audiences realize what we’ve been missing. At my performance, drag queen Vagenesis did hilarious crowd work, bringing a kiki that the rest of Travesty couldn’t conjure.
Perhaps context is everything. If I saw any of Velour’s numbers at a gay bar, it’d be the highlight of my night. But at Woolly Mammoth, where I’ve seen more sharply crafted solo shows like Julia Masli’s ho ho ho ha ha ha ha, Travesty feels disjointed. Velour eventually speaks to the audience about her favorite gay bar that developers destroyed. The show finally becomes personal, yet disconnected from everything that came before.
Velour delivers a decent self-portrait in Travesty, but it’s an unfinished portrait of the community that inspires her.
Is Sasha Velour’s ‘Travesty’ worth seeing?
2 out of 5 stars
Velour’s artistry is undeniable, but Travesty‘s sweeping queer history feels more like a highlight reel than a lived-in world.
- Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D Street NW, Washington, D.C.
- Notable performers: Sasha Velour and a rotating lineup of local guest artists
- Running time: Approximately 90 minutes, no intermission
- Performances through April 19, 2026
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