RIOT QUEENS to Spotlight 1966 Compton's Cafeteria Riots at Fuse Next Month
The play dramatizes the Compton's Cafeteria Riots, a trans woman-led, anti-police uprising in San Francisco that predates Stonewall by three years.
By: Stephi Wild Feb. 11, 2026
Fuse Theatre Ensemble will present Mikki Gillette's Riot Queens. The play dramatizes the Compton's Cafeteria Riots, a trans woman-led, anti-police uprising in San Francisco that predates Stonewall by three years. Performances run March 5-29.
Based on Gillette's extensive research, Riot Queens explores the political, social and interpersonal dynamics leading to the event through its three main characters: Dixie who advocates for queer rights as a member of Vanguard, an activist group for street youth; Haley, a sex worker with a traumatic past who fears that the changes taking place will threaten the precarious life she's built, and Nina, a newcomer torn between the life she can envision for herself, and the debt she feels she owes her community.
At a time when opponents of trans rights seek to cast doubt on the legitimacy of trans identities, Riot Queens attests to the truth of the statement that “trans people have always existed,” and will never stop fighting.
RIOT QUEENS
Directed by Harper York, Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Classic Players
with…
- Bryn Bollimpali as Nina
- Ethan Feider as Haley
- Nineveh de La Luz Herrera as Dixie
- Riplie Sugden as Lorraine
- Christian Gutierrez as Jean-Paul and Cop
- Tyler Hunt as Frank and Cop
- Costume design by Harper York
- Lighting design by Sophina Flores
- Scenic & props design by Ezra Maria Ferdynant Goetzen
- Sound Design by Alex Hollis
Mikki Gillette is an award-winning playwright who's been called “the Joan of Arc of the trans community in Portland theatre” by Oregon Arts Watch. Her show American Girl was featured in American Theatre and voted Best Play in the Broadway World Portland Awards following its 2023 production. Other productions include The Queers (Fuse Theatre '22), My Perfectly Valid Objections (Salt and Sage '23), and They Them Their (Fuse Theatre '23), and Blonde on a Bum Trip (Fuse Theatre '24), No More Candy (Salt and Sage '24), Tears and Glitter (Salt and Sage '25), and Mimetic Desire (Salt and Sage '25). Upcoming shows include The Dark Stuff (Twilight Theatre '26) and Exploding Hearts (Salt and Sage '27). Learn more at: mikkigillette.com.
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