OPERA, DRAG, AND
THE POLITICS IN BETWEEN

Adrienne Truscott and Le Gateau Chocolat gleefully
explore identity, allyship, and the “grey areas”
where ideology and performance collide

Grey Arias burst onto the The Flea Theater stage like a theatrical meteor from another planet, leaving jaws dropping and eyebrows arching even among those already braced for the unusual. It is a delicious, genre-bending concoction of cabaret, comedy, and theatrical debate brought to life by an inventive and singular duo: Adrienne Truscott and Le Gateau Chocolat.

In a dazzling purée of opera, drag, stand-up, and political conversation, the celebrated performers engage like longtime friends reunited after years apart, trading quips, confessions, and playful jabs. The result is an unreal, almost dreamlike performance: we glimpse projections of the real text messages that birthed the show, hear their real-life tragedies laid bare, and watch them sing, dance, and clown with infectious joy—all while balancing heartfelt intimacy with mischievous hilarity.

Dressed in a vibrant mini red dress with large white polka dots, a ruffled white “Peter Pan” collar, and bright red circular blush on her cheeks, Truscott states the obvious with refreshing honesty: for most women — much like for queer communities and people of color — our society proves a challenging and uncomfortable place to live. It is often difficult to stage problems humanity has stubbornly failed to solve, even though they should be the easiest ones to address. Racism, misogyny, homophobia, entitlement, and the chronic shortage of empathy can quickly become trite once placed on stage. The trick is finding a new way in, and Truscott has a knack for locating those fresh angles exactly.

The American white feminist comedian and the Nigerian-English Black queer drag diva own the stage and the theater aisles from beginning to end, focusing on identity and allyship, race and gender, queerness and drag performance, feminism and political correctness. They deliberately venture into the “grey areas,” those messy spaces where social rules and ideological lines blur.

At one point, Le Gateau, a classically trained baritone, lip-syncs “Un bel dì, vedremo,” the famous aria from Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, delivering a heart-wrenching and stylish performance while trying to convince Truscott to play the male character in the opera, Pinkerton.

She does — but questions everything about the very questionable opera plot. It is a heartbreaking story about love, cultural arrogance, and the world’s most devastating “I’ll be back.” Cio-Cio-San (aka Madama Butterfly) is an idealistic and vulnerable 15-year-old girl living in Japan, while Pinkerton is a thirty-something U.S. naval officer. He grooms her, marries her for convenience, gets her pregnant, and leaves — only to return three years later with his new white wife to take Butterfly’s child. The libretto, like many opera plots, is horrifying, but the music is celestial. When people go to see or hear about Madama Butterfly, they rarely think first of statutory rape, cultural appropriation and supremacy, racism, and misogyny. It is a perfect grey area, and the performers make sure we relish the political, sarcastic commentary.

Le Gateau sings “Creep” by Radiohead, sending shivers down my spine, while Truscott gets naked and invites an audience member to place a hand on her breast so she can trace it—an innocent game that becomes a disturbing “logo” for violence against women. Throughout the show, they circle each other’s ideas with teasing challenges and playful provocation.

How do you stay united when your communities share oppression but not always the same opinions? Truscott and Le Gateau suggest the answer lies in navigating solidarity and disagreement the way they do — juggling empathy, honesty, and the occasional hard truth. Provocative and very funny, more performance art than a conventional play, Grey Arias proves a rare gem — one that those who caught its fleeting three-night run at The Flea can consider themselves lucky to have witnessed.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

photos by Tamarah Scott

Grey Arias
The Flea Theater, 20 Thomas St.
1 hour, no intermission
played March 5–7, 2026
for more shows, visit The Flea
for more info, visit Adrienne Truscott and Le Gateau Chocolat 

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦