Before the Stonewall riots in New York and before Pride parades became a summer staple, there was a cup of coffee hurled in the Tenderloin.
In the summer of 1966, a trans woman at Compton's Cafeteria threw scalding coffee in the face of a police officer attempting an unwarranted arrest, setting off what would become the first recorded act of militant queer resistance in U.S. history.
Trans women and their allies fought back, using high heels and diner furniture to defend themselves against police harassment. The riot and its legacy remain central to San Francisco's LGBTQ history, yet for decades, the event was nearly forgotten.
The immersive theatrical experience simply titled "The Compton's Cafeteria Riot" first premiered in 2018, bringing this nearly lost history to life. After years of hurdles, the production has now found a possible permanent home with the Tenderloin Museum.
Running Fridays and Saturdays from April 12 through July, the show transforms the venue at 835 Larkin St. into a fully realized replica of Compton's Cafeteria, where a 12-person cast reenacts the buildup to that pivotal moment of resistance. The audience doesn't just watch. They step into the world of Compton's, interacting with characters, feeling the tension and witnessing history unfold around them. All attendees will be served breakfast food for dinner during the production, with vegan and gluten-free options available.
Ezra Reaves, the production's new director, brings a fresh vision while staying true to its roots. Every detail, from the set design to the props, has been carefully curated to transport audiences.
"I knew that I was the person to do this," they said. "The intersection of immersive theater and queer history – that's my whole life."
But mounting a production like this isn't easy, especially in the current political state, Reaves said, citing the defunding of transgender art.
"It's been extremely challenging in this political and economic climate to put on a show," they said. "We're watching trans lives be scrutinized and under criticism by everyone, even though this is a tiny population of people that are under attack."
However, that weight –the fight for survival and recognition– is built into the show's DNA. Reaves points to trans historian and filmmaker Susan Stryker as the reason the world even knows about the Compton's Cafeteria riot.
"If it wasn't for Dr. Susan Stryker, we would never know about Compton's Cafeteria," Reaves said.
Reviving the play
Bringing this production back after its initial 2018 run required overcoming significant obstacles. Finding a permanent home at the Tenderloin Museum was a breakthrough, providing stability to a show that had struggled with funding and venue limitations.
"It's not easy to get immersive theater off the ground, especially a piece rooted in history that institutions weren't always willing to support," Reaves said.
Shane Zaldivar, a transgender drag queen, highlights the fact that the play is being presented by the Tenderloin Museum.
"How often is entertainment so intertwined with the institution of a museum?" she asked. "Not only is this history valid and it happened, [and] here's a way to learn it that is supported by one of the holders of this history. That makes this project feel special."
Zaldivar, who plays Rusty, a character inspired by Tenderloin legend and co-playwright Donna Persona, sees parallels between the struggles of the 1960s and today.
"A lot of what was happening in the '60s replicates the mindsets that the authorities or the people in power have towards other human beings," Zaldivar said. "At the end of the day, these are all people in a diner trying to live their lives, trying to go for the same pursuit of happiness, love, equality and access that anyone wants."
The immersive nature of the show allows the audience to feel what Compton's meant to its patrons.
"This diner existed, and this diner was a space for people to be themselves, find community," Zaldivar said. "While the conditions were bad for the community overall, Compton's was a place they could buy a cup of coffee, sit for hours, and talk and check on each other through the night. It was almost a sanctuary."
Today's relevance
The show not only depicts history, but also asks audiences to engage with its ongoing impact. As Zaldivar pointed out, the struggles faced by trans people today mirror those of the past.
"It's frustrating to see the same narratives repeated, the same fights being fought," they said. "We should have moved past this by now."
For Reaves, theater is activism. They pointed out a recent Pew Research Center study that reported more than half of adults in the U.S. say they've never met a trans person.
"Not only is that not true, but this show will make it undeniable," Reaves said. "You will interact with trans people. You're not going to walk out of the show without having an understanding of their humanity."
And that's the point.
"When you leave this diner theater experience, you walk into the same streets that these people had to walk," Zaldivar said.
Beyond the individual audience experience, the team behind "The Compton's Cafeteria Riot" hopes to cement the show as a must-see part of San Francisco's cultural landscape. With a permanent home, a dedicated cast and a renewed sense of purpose, the production stands as both a tribute to past resistance and a call to action for the present.
"This is San Francisco history, and it's still unfolding," Zaldivar said.
'The Compton's Cafeteria Riot,' $75, Fridays and Saturdays, April 11–July, 835 Larkin St. www.comptonscafeteriariot.com
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