*** New Dates Added! Tickets on sale NOW! April 6 & 7, April 13 & 14, April 27 & 28, May 4 & 5 ***
PLUS, our Riot has been making waves in the press. Here is some of what people are saying:
"It not only dramatizes the specific inequalities that transgender women and drag queens have endured but also portrays them as heroic and courageous. The play makes a poignant and credible case to do away with the idea of normalcy, and that queer people are no longer beholden to an antiquated idea that’s so flawed and dishonest." - Jeffrey Edalatpour, SF Weekly"'I want San Francisco to really see the importance of trans folks, and trans women in particular, in the queer narrative,' Aejay Mitchell says. “Trans women have paved the way for queer resilience.” from Ryan Kost's feature in the San Francisco Chronicle "...back then, the diner was like a 24-hour portal to another world. It was jam-packed with night owls, sipping cups of coffee that cost less than a dime. Transgender people weren’t welcome in the gay bars nearby, so they went to Compton’s. 'So I come here, and I’m normal!' Donna Personna says. 'It was better than Disneyland, better than Paris.'" from Holly McDede's feature on KALW's Crosscurrents
The Tenderloin Museum proudly presents The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, an original, interactive theater piece directly inspired by the historic riots that launched transgender activism in San Francisco. The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is an integral piece of the Tenderloin’s identity, and this play offers a singular opportunity for audiences to celebrate the individuals whose tenacious spirit spawned a movement against the long history of discrimination and violence. Attendees will convene for a late night breakfast at the New Village Cafe (a surrogate for the long-gone Compton’s on Turk and Taylor), where a 12 person cast will recreate the neighborhood's seminal act of resistance and immerse the audience in the tribulations of a marginalized community striving for survival and recognition.
In the summer of 1966, a drag queen patron of the Tenderloin’s Compton’s Cafeteria threw her cup of hot coffee in the face of an police officer as he made an unwarranted attempted to arrest her. The riot that followed would come to be known as the United States’ first recorded act of militant queer resistance to social oppression and police harassment. Three years before the famous gay riot at New York’s Stonewall Inn, the neighborhood’s drag queens and allies banded together to fight back against their ongoing discrimination, beating the cops with their high heels and throwing furniture through the cafeteria windows.
A reflection of the solidarity displayed at Compton’s, The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is a highly collaborative production. The play was conceived and developed by Bay Area playwright Mark Nassar and Tenderloin Museum director Katie Conry. Nassar wrote the script with legendary neighborhood drag queens Donna Personna and Collette LeGrande, whose first-hand accounts of Compton’s inform the dialogue and direction. Throughout 2017, the play was workshopped extensively at the Tenderloin Museum to incorporate community feedback, and the final result is a groundbreaking hybrid of theater and living history.
While the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot has immense significance for the TLGB community at large, it was a defining moment for the Tenderloin. As such, Compton’s figures prominently in the Tenderloin Museum’s permanent exhibition. The history on display inspired Nassar and Conry to translate this pivotal moment to the stage, and the multi-year project that ensued proved a unique connection between the museum and its community. Special thanks is due to Susan Stryker and Victor Silverman, whose diligently researched, Emmy Award winning documentary Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria saved Compton’s from historical obscurity. Their special programming at the Tenderloin Museum was instrumental in building local awareness. Additionally, this production was made possible by generous grants from the California Humanities- a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, the Horizons Foundation, and the Neighborhoods Arts Collaborative/ Grants for the Arts.
The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot opened on February 22nd. The initial four weekend run sold out, and the play has been extended through May 5th. Audience members are encouraged to dress in 60s era clothing. Admission includes a meal (breakfast for dinner), but seating each night is limited, so reserve a ticket today!
A number of complimentary tickets have been reserved each night for members of our community who are on a low or fixed income. To apply for one of these free tickets, fill out this short questionnaire here. Hard copy applications are available at the Tenderloin Museum (398 Eddy Street).
* The dialogue and subject matter of the play strives for historical realism, even when that reality is objectionable by today’s standards.
Mark Nassar boasts a successful career writing plays and screenplays and acting in theater, TV and film. Mr. Nassar is the co-creator of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, the longest running Off-Broadway comedy in New York City history. More recently, he wrote the screenplay for A Line in the Sand, a film directed by Jeffrey Chernov, in which he also played a principal role. In 2008, the film won Best Feature and the Audience Award at numerous film festivals, as well as the Grand Jury prize at the Canada International Film Festival. He also has attended the Djerassi Artists Residency in Woodside, California, where he completed a new play, Shouting in the Wilderness, and is currently playing Sal the owner in San Francisco’s immersive hit, The Speakeasy.
Collette LeGrande is the twice former Grand Duchess of the Ducal Court of San Francisco. She has raised funds for charity in the Tenderloin for 30 years, supporting AIDS Emergency Fund, Magnet, Mama Reinhardt's Toys for Tots, and many others. She has worked at Aunt Charlie’s since 1998 and organizes her own bi-weekly drag show, the Dream Queens Revue.
Donna Personna is an artist and performer, who first hit the stage with the legendary Cockettes. She was the subject of the 2013 Iris Prize-winning short “My Mother,” by Jay Bedwani. She serves on the board of directors committees for Trans March and the Transgender Day of Remembrance, working to gain wider visibility for transgender rights.
CAST BIOS:Kelly J. Kelly is a newly emerging performer, having just appeared on SF stages for the first time in Summer 2017 with her comedy solo show Stepford Wife Wannabe directed by Martha Rynberg. The show was recently selected for the Spring 2018 season of Monday Night Marsh at SF's Marsh Theater (aka The Marsh). Kelly identifies foremost as a writer (memoir, fiction, creative non-fiction) and has read her own works on local stages for LitCrawl & Litup Writers. Her most recent credits include both dramatic and comedic roles in three short plays as part of the 2017 Audience Showcase and Playoffs for The Playwrights’ Center of San Francisco. She has appeared in two films: Transgender Tuesdays (2012) - a documentary; and The Catch (1999) a comedy short about queers and football.Clair Farley is a trans advocate, actress, and writer. She is the Mayor’s Senior Advisor on Trans Initiatives and was the Director of Economic Development at the San Francisco LGBT Center. Clair starred in the award-winning films including My Life with Mode Media, Red Without Blue on Netflix and American Transgender on National Geographic. She works across the country and internationally to advocate for increased trans media visibility as well as safe and equal employment and housing opportunities for trans and queer people. Follow Clair on Twitter @ClairJoyFarley.Pleasure Bynight is excited to return to the stage in an acting role. A recent transplant to San Francisco in late 2016, she is excited to promote and teach the history of the movements that created the spaces she loves today. As the youngest daughter of the Haus of Dolls, she performs at various shows around the city including Ethereal Dollhouse, Doubletake, and Pole$exual. If you see her out around the city, she would like you to know that she likes gin & tonics and tequila shots.Lavale Davis is honored to have a part in telling this important story. Some of his favorite past roles include: Karla in Above and Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Showgirls (SF Oasis), Jacob in La Cage Aux Folles (CCCT), Horse in The Full Monty (TVRT), Seaweed in Hairspray (Stage 1), The Bearded Lady in Sideshow (Altarena), and Buttons in Cinderella The Panto (Panto SF). When not performing in plays and musicals he is seen about town as his drag alter ego Coco Buttah.Jaylyn Abergas can be found twirling hair at Smoke & Mirrors Salon in downtown San Francisco by day, then, by night, twirling her legs as her drag persona Miss J. She has performed on the SF Mainstage at Pride, the largest Pride celebration in the world, for two years in a row, and hopes to continue this tradition. Also, Jaylyn is a member of the SF Carnaval Royalty Committee, in the Mission District, where she samba dances to the beat of her own drum. In 2016, Jaylyn started seriously pursuing her acting career and performed at the Bindlestiff Studio, during the Queer Arts Festival, in Queer as Fuck, a play of short stories. In 2017, Jaylyn came out as Trans and hopes to help make a difference in the world by living her truth and following her dreams out loud and proud.Shane Zaldivar has been living in San Francisco for 4 years now. Since moving out of Florida to attend Oaksterdam University, drag in the Bay area has become their art-therapy. For Shane, the performer community invites authenticity to shine way beyond the stage. They feel lucky to be a part of the community to showcase fun and genuine expres
show less
PLUS, our Riot has been making waves in the press. Here is some of what people are saying:
"It not only dramatizes the specific inequalities that transgender women and drag queens have endured but also portrays them as heroic and courageous. The play makes a poignant and credible case to do away with the idea of normalcy, and that queer people are no longer beholden to an antiquated idea that’s so flawed and dishonest." - Jeffrey Edalatpour, SF Weekly"'I want San Francisco to really see the importance of trans folks, and trans women in particular, in the queer narrative,' Aejay Mitchell says. “Trans women have paved the way for queer resilience.” from Ryan Kost's feature in the San Francisco Chronicle "...back then, the diner was like a 24-hour portal to another world. It was jam-packed with night owls, sipping cups of coffee that cost less than a dime. Transgender people weren’t welcome in the gay bars nearby, so they went to Compton’s. 'So I come here, and I’m normal!' Donna Personna says. 'It was better than Disneyland, better than Paris.'" from Holly McDede's feature on KALW's Crosscurrents
The Tenderloin Museum proudly presents The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, an original, interactive theater piece directly inspired by the historic riots that launched transgender activism in San Francisco. The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is an integral piece of the Tenderloin’s identity, and this play offers a singular opportunity for audiences to celebrate the individuals whose tenacious spirit spawned a movement against the long history of discrimination and violence. Attendees will convene for a late night breakfast at the New Village Cafe (a surrogate for the long-gone Compton’s on Turk and Taylor), where a 12 person cast will recreate the neighborhood's seminal act of resistance and immerse the audience in the tribulations of a marginalized community striving for survival and recognition.
In the summer of 1966, a drag queen patron of the Tenderloin’s Compton’s Cafeteria threw her cup of hot coffee in the face of an police officer as he made an unwarranted attempted to arrest her. The riot that followed would come to be known as the United States’ first recorded act of militant queer resistance to social oppression and police harassment. Three years before the famous gay riot at New York’s Stonewall Inn, the neighborhood’s drag queens and allies banded together to fight back against their ongoing discrimination, beating the cops with their high heels and throwing furniture through the cafeteria windows.
A reflection of the solidarity displayed at Compton’s, The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is a highly collaborative production. The play was conceived and developed by Bay Area playwright Mark Nassar and Tenderloin Museum director Katie Conry. Nassar wrote the script with legendary neighborhood drag queens Donna Personna and Collette LeGrande, whose first-hand accounts of Compton’s inform the dialogue and direction. Throughout 2017, the play was workshopped extensively at the Tenderloin Museum to incorporate community feedback, and the final result is a groundbreaking hybrid of theater and living history.
While the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot has immense significance for the TLGB community at large, it was a defining moment for the Tenderloin. As such, Compton’s figures prominently in the Tenderloin Museum’s permanent exhibition. The history on display inspired Nassar and Conry to translate this pivotal moment to the stage, and the multi-year project that ensued proved a unique connection between the museum and its community. Special thanks is due to Susan Stryker and Victor Silverman, whose diligently researched, Emmy Award winning documentary Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria saved Compton’s from historical obscurity. Their special programming at the Tenderloin Museum was instrumental in building local awareness. Additionally, this production was made possible by generous grants from the California Humanities- a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, the Horizons Foundation, and the Neighborhoods Arts Collaborative/ Grants for the Arts.
The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot opened on February 22nd. The initial four weekend run sold out, and the play has been extended through May 5th. Audience members are encouraged to dress in 60s era clothing. Admission includes a meal (breakfast for dinner), but seating each night is limited, so reserve a ticket today!
A number of complimentary tickets have been reserved each night for members of our community who are on a low or fixed income. To apply for one of these free tickets, fill out this short questionnaire here. Hard copy applications are available at the Tenderloin Museum (398 Eddy Street).
* The dialogue and subject matter of the play strives for historical realism, even when that reality is objectionable by today’s standards.
Mark Nassar boasts a successful career writing plays and screenplays and acting in theater, TV and film. Mr. Nassar is the co-creator of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, the longest running Off-Broadway comedy in New York City history. More recently, he wrote the screenplay for A Line in the Sand, a film directed by Jeffrey Chernov, in which he also played a principal role. In 2008, the film won Best Feature and the Audience Award at numerous film festivals, as well as the Grand Jury prize at the Canada International Film Festival. He also has attended the Djerassi Artists Residency in Woodside, California, where he completed a new play, Shouting in the Wilderness, and is currently playing Sal the owner in San Francisco’s immersive hit, The Speakeasy.
Collette LeGrande is the twice former Grand Duchess of the Ducal Court of San Francisco. She has raised funds for charity in the Tenderloin for 30 years, supporting AIDS Emergency Fund, Magnet, Mama Reinhardt's Toys for Tots, and many others. She has worked at Aunt Charlie’s since 1998 and organizes her own bi-weekly drag show, the Dream Queens Revue.
Donna Personna is an artist and performer, who first hit the stage with the legendary Cockettes. She was the subject of the 2013 Iris Prize-winning short “My Mother,” by Jay Bedwani. She serves on the board of directors committees for Trans March and the Transgender Day of Remembrance, working to gain wider visibility for transgender rights.
CAST BIOS:Kelly J. Kelly is a newly emerging performer, having just appeared on SF stages for the first time in Summer 2017 with her comedy solo show Stepford Wife Wannabe directed by Martha Rynberg. The show was recently selected for the Spring 2018 season of Monday Night Marsh at SF's Marsh Theater (aka The Marsh). Kelly identifies foremost as a writer (memoir, fiction, creative non-fiction) and has read her own works on local stages for LitCrawl & Litup Writers. Her most recent credits include both dramatic and comedic roles in three short plays as part of the 2017 Audience Showcase and Playoffs for The Playwrights’ Center of San Francisco. She has appeared in two films: Transgender Tuesdays (2012) - a documentary; and The Catch (1999) a comedy short about queers and football.Clair Farley is a trans advocate, actress, and writer. She is the Mayor’s Senior Advisor on Trans Initiatives and was the Director of Economic Development at the San Francisco LGBT Center. Clair starred in the award-winning films including My Life with Mode Media, Red Without Blue on Netflix and American Transgender on National Geographic. She works across the country and internationally to advocate for increased trans media visibility as well as safe and equal employment and housing opportunities for trans and queer people. Follow Clair on Twitter @ClairJoyFarley.Pleasure Bynight is excited to return to the stage in an acting role. A recent transplant to San Francisco in late 2016, she is excited to promote and teach the history of the movements that created the spaces she loves today. As the youngest daughter of the Haus of Dolls, she performs at various shows around the city including Ethereal Dollhouse, Doubletake, and Pole$exual. If you see her out around the city, she would like you to know that she likes gin & tonics and tequila shots.Lavale Davis is honored to have a part in telling this important story. Some of his favorite past roles include: Karla in Above and Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Showgirls (SF Oasis), Jacob in La Cage Aux Folles (CCCT), Horse in The Full Monty (TVRT), Seaweed in Hairspray (Stage 1), The Bearded Lady in Sideshow (Altarena), and Buttons in Cinderella The Panto (Panto SF). When not performing in plays and musicals he is seen about town as his drag alter ego Coco Buttah.Jaylyn Abergas can be found twirling hair at Smoke & Mirrors Salon in downtown San Francisco by day, then, by night, twirling her legs as her drag persona Miss J. She has performed on the SF Mainstage at Pride, the largest Pride celebration in the world, for two years in a row, and hopes to continue this tradition. Also, Jaylyn is a member of the SF Carnaval Royalty Committee, in the Mission District, where she samba dances to the beat of her own drum. In 2016, Jaylyn started seriously pursuing her acting career and performed at the Bindlestiff Studio, during the Queer Arts Festival, in Queer as Fuck, a play of short stories. In 2017, Jaylyn came out as Trans and hopes to help make a difference in the world by living her truth and following her dreams out loud and proud.Shane Zaldivar has been living in San Francisco for 4 years now. Since moving out of Florida to attend Oaksterdam University, drag in the Bay area has become their art-therapy. For Shane, the performer community invites authenticity to shine way beyond the stage. They feel lucky to be a part of the community to showcase fun and genuine expres
*** New Dates Added! Tickets on sale NOW! April 6 & 7, April 13 & 14, April 27 & 28, May 4 & 5 ***
PLUS, our Riot has been making waves in the press. Here is some of what people are saying:
"It not only dramatizes the specific inequalities that transgender women and drag queens have endured but also portrays them as heroic and courageous. The play makes a poignant and credible case to do away with the idea of normalcy, and that queer people are no longer beholden to an antiquated idea that’s so flawed and dishonest." - Jeffrey Edalatpour, SF Weekly"'I want San Francisco to really see the importance of trans folks, and trans women in particular, in the queer narrative,' Aejay Mitchell says. “Trans women have paved the way for queer resilience.” from Ryan Kost's feature in the San Francisco Chronicle "...back then, the diner was like a 24-hour portal to another world. It was jam-packed with night owls, sipping cups of coffee that cost less than a dime. Transgender people weren’t welcome in the gay bars nearby, so they went to Compton’s. 'So I come here, and I’m normal!' Donna Personna says. 'It was better than Disneyland, better than Paris.'" from Holly McDede's feature on KALW's Crosscurrents
The Tenderloin Museum proudly presents The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, an original, interactive theater piece directly inspired by the historic riots that launched transgender activism in San Francisco. The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is an integral piece of the Tenderloin’s identity, and this play offers a singular opportunity for audiences to celebrate the individuals whose tenacious spirit spawned a movement against the long history of discrimination and violence. Attendees will convene for a late night breakfast at the New Village Cafe (a surrogate for the long-gone Compton’s on Turk and Taylor), where a 12 person cast will recreate the neighborhood's seminal act of resistance and immerse the audience in the tribulations of a marginalized community striving for survival and recognition.
In the summer of 1966, a drag queen patron of the Tenderloin’s Compton’s Cafeteria threw her cup of hot coffee in the face of an police officer as he made an unwarranted attempted to arrest her. The riot that followed would come to be known as the United States’ first recorded act of militant queer resistance to social oppression and police harassment. Three years before the famous gay riot at New York’s Stonewall Inn, the neighborhood’s drag queens and allies banded together to fight back against their ongoing discrimination, beating the cops with their high heels and throwing furniture through the cafeteria windows.
A reflection of the solidarity displayed at Compton’s, The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is a highly collaborative production. The play was conceived and developed by Bay Area playwright Mark Nassar and Tenderloin Museum director Katie Conry. Nassar wrote the script with legendary neighborhood drag queens Donna Personna and Collette LeGrande, whose first-hand accounts of Compton’s inform the dialogue and direction. Throughout 2017, the play was workshopped extensively at the Tenderloin Museum to incorporate community feedback, and the final result is a groundbreaking hybrid of theater and living history.
While the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot has immense significance for the TLGB community at large, it was a defining moment for the Tenderloin. As such, Compton’s figures prominently in the Tenderloin Museum’s permanent exhibition. The history on display inspired Nassar and Conry to translate this pivotal moment to the stage, and the multi-year project that ensued proved a unique connection between the museum and its community. Special thanks is due to Susan Stryker and Victor Silverman, whose diligently researched, Emmy Award winning documentary Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria saved Compton’s from historical obscurity. Their special programming at the Tenderloin Museum was instrumental in building local awareness. Additionally, this production was made possible by generous grants from the California Humanities- a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, the Horizons Foundation, and the Neighborhoods Arts Collaborative/ Grants for the Arts.
The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot opened on February 22nd. The initial four weekend run sold out, and the play has been extended through May 5th. Audience members are encouraged to dress in 60s era clothing. Admission includes a meal (breakfast for dinner), but seating each night is limited, so reserve a ticket today!
A number of complimentary tickets have been reserved each night for members of our community who are on a low or fixed income. To apply for one of these free tickets, fill out this short questionnaire here. Hard copy applications are available at the Tenderloin Museum (398 Eddy Street).
* The dialogue and subject matter of the play strives for historical realism, even when that reality is objectionable by today’s standards.
Mark Nassar boasts a successful career writing plays and screenplays and acting in theater, TV and film. Mr. Nassar is the co-creator of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, the longest running Off-Broadway comedy in New York City history. More recently, he wrote the screenplay for A Line in the Sand, a film directed by Jeffrey Chernov, in which he also played a principal role. In 2008, the film won Best Feature and the Audience Award at numerous film festivals, as well as the Grand Jury prize at the Canada International Film Festival. He also has attended the Djerassi Artists Residency in Woodside, California, where he completed a new play, Shouting in the Wilderness, and is currently playing Sal the owner in San Francisco’s immersive hit, The Speakeasy.
Collette LeGrande is the twice former Grand Duchess of the Ducal Court of San Francisco. She has raised funds for charity in the Tenderloin for 30 years, supporting AIDS Emergency Fund, Magnet, Mama Reinhardt's Toys for Tots, and many others. She has worked at Aunt Charlie’s since 1998 and organizes her own bi-weekly drag show, the Dream Queens Revue.
Donna Personna is an artist and performer, who first hit the stage with the legendary Cockettes. She was the subject of the 2013 Iris Prize-winning short “My Mother,” by Jay Bedwani. She serves on the board of directors committees for Trans March and the Transgender Day of Remembrance, working to gain wider visibility for transgender rights.
CAST BIOS:Kelly J. Kelly is a newly emerging performer, having just appeared on SF stages for the first time in Summer 2017 with her comedy solo show Stepford Wife Wannabe directed by Martha Rynberg. The show was recently selected for the Spring 2018 season of Monday Night Marsh at SF's Marsh Theater (aka The Marsh). Kelly identifies foremost as a writer (memoir, fiction, creative non-fiction) and has read her own works on local stages for LitCrawl & Litup Writers. Her most recent credits include both dramatic and comedic roles in three short plays as part of the 2017 Audience Showcase and Playoffs for The Playwrights’ Center of San Francisco. She has appeared in two films: Transgender Tuesdays (2012) - a documentary; and The Catch (1999) a comedy short about queers and football.Clair Farley is a trans advocate, actress, and writer. She is the Mayor’s Senior Advisor on Trans Initiatives and was the Director of Economic Development at the San Francisco LGBT Center. Clair starred in the award-winning films including My Life with Mode Media, Red Without Blue on Netflix and American Transgender on National Geographic. She works across the country and internationally to advocate for increased trans media visibility as well as safe and equal employment and housing opportunities for trans and queer people. Follow Clair on Twitter @ClairJoyFarley.Pleasure Bynight is excited to return to the stage in an acting role. A recent transplant to San Francisco in late 2016, she is excited to promote and teach the history of the movements that created the spaces she loves today. As the youngest daughter of the Haus of Dolls, she performs at various shows around the city including Ethereal Dollhouse, Doubletake, and Pole$exual. If you see her out around the city, she would like you to know that she likes gin & tonics and tequila shots.Lavale Davis is honored to have a part in telling this important story. Some of his favorite past roles include: Karla in Above and Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Showgirls (SF Oasis), Jacob in La Cage Aux Folles (CCCT), Horse in The Full Monty (TVRT), Seaweed in Hairspray (Stage 1), The Bearded Lady in Sideshow (Altarena), and Buttons in Cinderella The Panto (Panto SF). When not performing in plays and musicals he is seen about town as his drag alter ego Coco Buttah.Jaylyn Abergas can be found twirling hair at Smoke & Mirrors Salon in downtown San Francisco by day, then, by night, twirling her legs as her drag persona Miss J. She has performed on the SF Mainstage at Pride, the largest Pride celebration in the world, for two years in a row, and hopes to continue this tradition. Also, Jaylyn is a member of the SF Carnaval Royalty Committee, in the Mission District, where she samba dances to the beat of her own drum. In 2016, Jaylyn started seriously pursuing her acting career and performed at the Bindlestiff Studio, during the Queer Arts Festival, in Queer as Fuck, a play of short stories. In 2017, Jaylyn came out as Trans and hopes to help make a difference in the world by living her truth and following her dreams out loud and proud.Shane Zaldivar has been living in San Francisco for 4 years now. Since moving out of Florida to attend Oaksterdam University, drag in the Bay area has become their art-therapy. For Shane, the performer community invites authenticity to shine way beyond the stage. They feel lucky to be a part of the community to showcase fun and genuine expres
read more
PLUS, our Riot has been making waves in the press. Here is some of what people are saying:
"It not only dramatizes the specific inequalities that transgender women and drag queens have endured but also portrays them as heroic and courageous. The play makes a poignant and credible case to do away with the idea of normalcy, and that queer people are no longer beholden to an antiquated idea that’s so flawed and dishonest." - Jeffrey Edalatpour, SF Weekly"'I want San Francisco to really see the importance of trans folks, and trans women in particular, in the queer narrative,' Aejay Mitchell says. “Trans women have paved the way for queer resilience.” from Ryan Kost's feature in the San Francisco Chronicle "...back then, the diner was like a 24-hour portal to another world. It was jam-packed with night owls, sipping cups of coffee that cost less than a dime. Transgender people weren’t welcome in the gay bars nearby, so they went to Compton’s. 'So I come here, and I’m normal!' Donna Personna says. 'It was better than Disneyland, better than Paris.'" from Holly McDede's feature on KALW's Crosscurrents
The Tenderloin Museum proudly presents The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, an original, interactive theater piece directly inspired by the historic riots that launched transgender activism in San Francisco. The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is an integral piece of the Tenderloin’s identity, and this play offers a singular opportunity for audiences to celebrate the individuals whose tenacious spirit spawned a movement against the long history of discrimination and violence. Attendees will convene for a late night breakfast at the New Village Cafe (a surrogate for the long-gone Compton’s on Turk and Taylor), where a 12 person cast will recreate the neighborhood's seminal act of resistance and immerse the audience in the tribulations of a marginalized community striving for survival and recognition.
In the summer of 1966, a drag queen patron of the Tenderloin’s Compton’s Cafeteria threw her cup of hot coffee in the face of an police officer as he made an unwarranted attempted to arrest her. The riot that followed would come to be known as the United States’ first recorded act of militant queer resistance to social oppression and police harassment. Three years before the famous gay riot at New York’s Stonewall Inn, the neighborhood’s drag queens and allies banded together to fight back against their ongoing discrimination, beating the cops with their high heels and throwing furniture through the cafeteria windows.
A reflection of the solidarity displayed at Compton’s, The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot is a highly collaborative production. The play was conceived and developed by Bay Area playwright Mark Nassar and Tenderloin Museum director Katie Conry. Nassar wrote the script with legendary neighborhood drag queens Donna Personna and Collette LeGrande, whose first-hand accounts of Compton’s inform the dialogue and direction. Throughout 2017, the play was workshopped extensively at the Tenderloin Museum to incorporate community feedback, and the final result is a groundbreaking hybrid of theater and living history.
While the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot has immense significance for the TLGB community at large, it was a defining moment for the Tenderloin. As such, Compton’s figures prominently in the Tenderloin Museum’s permanent exhibition. The history on display inspired Nassar and Conry to translate this pivotal moment to the stage, and the multi-year project that ensued proved a unique connection between the museum and its community. Special thanks is due to Susan Stryker and Victor Silverman, whose diligently researched, Emmy Award winning documentary Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria saved Compton’s from historical obscurity. Their special programming at the Tenderloin Museum was instrumental in building local awareness. Additionally, this production was made possible by generous grants from the California Humanities- a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, the Horizons Foundation, and the Neighborhoods Arts Collaborative/ Grants for the Arts.
The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot opened on February 22nd. The initial four weekend run sold out, and the play has been extended through May 5th. Audience members are encouraged to dress in 60s era clothing. Admission includes a meal (breakfast for dinner), but seating each night is limited, so reserve a ticket today!
A number of complimentary tickets have been reserved each night for members of our community who are on a low or fixed income. To apply for one of these free tickets, fill out this short questionnaire here. Hard copy applications are available at the Tenderloin Museum (398 Eddy Street).
* The dialogue and subject matter of the play strives for historical realism, even when that reality is objectionable by today’s standards.
Mark Nassar boasts a successful career writing plays and screenplays and acting in theater, TV and film. Mr. Nassar is the co-creator of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, the longest running Off-Broadway comedy in New York City history. More recently, he wrote the screenplay for A Line in the Sand, a film directed by Jeffrey Chernov, in which he also played a principal role. In 2008, the film won Best Feature and the Audience Award at numerous film festivals, as well as the Grand Jury prize at the Canada International Film Festival. He also has attended the Djerassi Artists Residency in Woodside, California, where he completed a new play, Shouting in the Wilderness, and is currently playing Sal the owner in San Francisco’s immersive hit, The Speakeasy.
Collette LeGrande is the twice former Grand Duchess of the Ducal Court of San Francisco. She has raised funds for charity in the Tenderloin for 30 years, supporting AIDS Emergency Fund, Magnet, Mama Reinhardt's Toys for Tots, and many others. She has worked at Aunt Charlie’s since 1998 and organizes her own bi-weekly drag show, the Dream Queens Revue.
Donna Personna is an artist and performer, who first hit the stage with the legendary Cockettes. She was the subject of the 2013 Iris Prize-winning short “My Mother,” by Jay Bedwani. She serves on the board of directors committees for Trans March and the Transgender Day of Remembrance, working to gain wider visibility for transgender rights.
CAST BIOS:Kelly J. Kelly is a newly emerging performer, having just appeared on SF stages for the first time in Summer 2017 with her comedy solo show Stepford Wife Wannabe directed by Martha Rynberg. The show was recently selected for the Spring 2018 season of Monday Night Marsh at SF's Marsh Theater (aka The Marsh). Kelly identifies foremost as a writer (memoir, fiction, creative non-fiction) and has read her own works on local stages for LitCrawl & Litup Writers. Her most recent credits include both dramatic and comedic roles in three short plays as part of the 2017 Audience Showcase and Playoffs for The Playwrights’ Center of San Francisco. She has appeared in two films: Transgender Tuesdays (2012) - a documentary; and The Catch (1999) a comedy short about queers and football.Clair Farley is a trans advocate, actress, and writer. She is the Mayor’s Senior Advisor on Trans Initiatives and was the Director of Economic Development at the San Francisco LGBT Center. Clair starred in the award-winning films including My Life with Mode Media, Red Without Blue on Netflix and American Transgender on National Geographic. She works across the country and internationally to advocate for increased trans media visibility as well as safe and equal employment and housing opportunities for trans and queer people. Follow Clair on Twitter @ClairJoyFarley.Pleasure Bynight is excited to return to the stage in an acting role. A recent transplant to San Francisco in late 2016, she is excited to promote and teach the history of the movements that created the spaces she loves today. As the youngest daughter of the Haus of Dolls, she performs at various shows around the city including Ethereal Dollhouse, Doubletake, and Pole$exual. If you see her out around the city, she would like you to know that she likes gin & tonics and tequila shots.Lavale Davis is honored to have a part in telling this important story. Some of his favorite past roles include: Karla in Above and Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Showgirls (SF Oasis), Jacob in La Cage Aux Folles (CCCT), Horse in The Full Monty (TVRT), Seaweed in Hairspray (Stage 1), The Bearded Lady in Sideshow (Altarena), and Buttons in Cinderella The Panto (Panto SF). When not performing in plays and musicals he is seen about town as his drag alter ego Coco Buttah.Jaylyn Abergas can be found twirling hair at Smoke & Mirrors Salon in downtown San Francisco by day, then, by night, twirling her legs as her drag persona Miss J. She has performed on the SF Mainstage at Pride, the largest Pride celebration in the world, for two years in a row, and hopes to continue this tradition. Also, Jaylyn is a member of the SF Carnaval Royalty Committee, in the Mission District, where she samba dances to the beat of her own drum. In 2016, Jaylyn started seriously pursuing her acting career and performed at the Bindlestiff Studio, during the Queer Arts Festival, in Queer as Fuck, a play of short stories. In 2017, Jaylyn came out as Trans and hopes to help make a difference in the world by living her truth and following her dreams out loud and proud.Shane Zaldivar has been living in San Francisco for 4 years now. Since moving out of Florida to attend Oaksterdam University, drag in the Bay area has become their art-therapy. For Shane, the performer community invites authenticity to shine way beyond the stage. They feel lucky to be a part of the community to showcase fun and genuine expres
show less
Date/Times:
1426 Polk Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
The Best Events
Every Week in Your Inbox
From Our Sponsors
UPCOMING EVENTS
Great suggestion! We'll be in touch.
Event reviewed successfully.