The Essentials

13 Things to See and Do in Portland: February 2020

Guitar-strumming drag queens, explosive volcano art, and festivals galore.

01/21/2020 By Conner Reed

Fall Arts 2019: Profile

The Life of Drag Legend Darcelle Is Becoming a Musical

That’s No Lady is a song-fueled story of overcoming the odds to find love and acceptance amid sequins, feathers, and bawdy jokes.

08/27/2019 By Rebecca Jacobson

Insider’s Guide 2019: Entertainment

These Are Portland’s Can’t-Miss Shows, According to Drag Clown Carla Rossi

Among them, educational drag nights and imaginary Game of Thrones episodes.

03/26/2019 By Rebecca Jacobson

Culture

In Portland, Drag Brunches Are a Thing

An order of bacon and legs, please.

01/29/2019 By Allison Place

Film

What's It Like to Be Darcelle? Now You Can Experience It in Virtual Reality.

A new documentary takes you inside the world of the legendary Portland drag queen.

10/12/2018 By Allison Place

Cinema

Genre Classics Meet Live Drag at Hollywood Theatre's Queer Horror

The bimonthly film series plays '90s classic Scream this Thursday, with a pre-show drag performance. What more do you need?

06/20/2018 By Sam Pape

Pride: The Prequel

In 1964, Portland Tried to Crack Down on the City’s Gay Scene. Here's What Happened.

Before the rainbow flag flew high, queer life unfolded in bars both wild and discreet. Then the city decided to shut it all down.

05/22/2018 By Zach Dundas

Strategies

Portland Drag Queen Poison Waters on How to Look Fabulous All the Time

Hint: sequins.

03/27/2018 By Kevin Cook

Performance

Feyonce Brings 'Messy Drag' to the Masses

In Strong Female Protagonist, Wayne Bund—a first-grade teacher by day—takes us on a hero's journey.

02/15/2018 By Rebecca Jacobson

Drag Art

4 Reasons You Absolutely Need to See Pepper Pepper's New Show

The Portland drag performer's new solo work dances through uncertainty to some cracking diva tunes.

10/25/2017 By Kayla Brock

Performance

Pocahontas to Cher, Anthony Hudson Goes Looking for Tiger Lily

Best known as drag clown Carla Rossi, the Portland performer digs into his experiences as a "faggy little half-white city Indian in a small town."

09/28/2016 By Rebecca Jacobson

ON THE CATWALK

Sequins, Drama, Gold Nipples, and Gravity-Defying Hair: Welcome to Critical Mascara

At Time-Based Art’s annual competitive drag spectacle, the stakes (and surrealism) run high. Plus: a dive into the fashion behind Portland’s vogue balls.

08/15/2016 By Fiona McCann and Eden Dawn

THE LONG PLAY

PODCAST: Darcelle and Poison Waters Swap Stories on Portland’s Evolving Drag Scene

For 49 years, Darcelle XV’s has been a haven of fun, acceptance, and feather boas. We talk to the big wigs (literally) about how it all came to pass, and what’s happening next.

06/13/2016 By Eden Dawn

DANCE

Dance, Glitter, and Drag: Unleash Your Inner D.I.V.A.

Pepper Pepper's new show, D.I.V.A. Practice, is both a glitter-filled drag show and part of a research project, from a Portlander with an advanced degree in "fabulousness."

04/13/2016 By Fiona McCann

PRET-A-PORTLAND

Meet Darcelle, Drag's Iconic Portland Designer

Glitter, glam, and man-skirts star on New York runways today, but Darcelle has been putting on the glitz for nearly 50 years.

06/03/2013 By Eden Dawn