Jaylyn Abergas (Miss J), is a beloved Bay Area performer and actress with over 20 years of entertaining experience. Crowned Carnaval Royale Ambassador in 2018, she’s known for bringing joy through dance in the Castro, Folsom, and Mission districts. She stars in the upcoming film Dope Queens (2025) and the immersive play The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, which highlights trans history and PRIDE’s radical roots. Dedicated to sharing the Bay Area’s queer legacy, Miss J educates youth and visitors on the vibrant trans history of San Francisco.

Angel (a.k.a. Linda Summers) moved to San Francisco in 2017, and brought his drag persona, Linda Summers, to life in 2019. Since then, his journey in drag has immersed him in queer and trans history, shaping how he shows up for his community and what he stands for. As a former Empress of San Francisco, Angel is deeply committed to sharing what he has learned with younger audiences. Through this show, he hopes to honor the legacy that came before him and affirm the enduring power of community.

Jonah Hezekiah Bessellieu is excited to play ‘Frankie’ in The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot. He’s been part of numerous Bay Area productions and continues developing his acting craft. Jonah is also a musician, performing under the alias RNJ, and aims to create art that uplifts and inspires.

Olivia Bratko is a Bay Area native, actress, writer, director, producer, singer, performer, event professional, and volunteer medic supporting sexual health and wellness. Learn more at www.olivia.bratko.net.

Anthony grew up on the San Francisco Peninsula and after many years living and traveling overseas returned to the Bay Area and found a home for his wanderlust in acting. Favorite past roles include Bob in Loose Knit (Masquers Playhouse), Floyd in Speakeasy (Boxcar Theater), Peter Timms in Chinglish (San Francisco Playhouse & Plethos Productions), and Herr Zeller in Sound of Music (Foothill Musical Theater). He currently studies acting at ZA Studios. Special thanks to Carmen for her faith in me. 

Lavale-William Davis (she/they) (a.k.a. Coco Buttah), is a non-binary Oakland-based actor, dancer, and drag queen. A lifelong musical theatre performer, Coco fell in love with drag through La Cage Aux Folles.

Nearly 10 years later, they continue to shine, combining theatre, dance, comedy, and camp in dynamic drag performances. Coco spreads joy across the Bay Area and beyond.

Mia is a queer advocate and first-time actress, portraying ‘Young Vicki Starlight’ in The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot. She was recently brought on as a trans case manager at San Francisco Community Health Center and has also begun her drag journey as Miss Holly Bloom. In addition, Mia supports a queer peer group for East Bay LGBTQ+–identifying young adults (ages 18–32) through Behavioral Fitness. She is honored to help uplift trans history alongside this inspiring cast.

Kyle Goldman has worked all over the Bay Area, with such companies as Boxcar Theatre, New Conservatory Theatre Center, African American Shakespeare Company, Exit Theatre, Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette, Douglas Morrisson Theatre in Hayward, and the Eugene O’Neill Natural Historic Site in Danville. Some of his favorite roles include ‘Dracula’ in Dracula, ‘Mickey’ in The Speakeasy, ‘Liberty Valance’ in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, ‘Leslie the lizard’ in Seascape, and ‘Mat Burke’ in Anna Christie, a show he performed in as part of the 2023 Eugene O’Neill International Festival of Theatre in New Ross, Ireland

Saoirse Grace is a Bay Area-based actor, singer, visual artist, cyr performer, clown, and award-winning filmmaker. She has performed for theatre audiences in France, Austria, Germany, Texas, and California.

Anna has been performing drag in the back alleys and seedy bars of San Francisco since 2019. She made her theatrical debut at Eclectic Box with the 2024 production of Murder at Buck’s. Bringing riot girl love to the queer community, Anna’s drag embodies the ideals of fifth-wave feminism by addressing topics of intersectionality, inclusion, and systemic change. You can find her performing late night drag shows in the Castro and Soma neighborhoods.

Casimir Kotarski (he/him) is honored to portray the role of Adrian in Compton's Cafeteria Riot. Casimir is new to Bay Area theater, having spent the last five years immersed in Seattle's underground drag scene and delighting the crowd as one of Pony's go-go dancers. He hopes this production inspires late nights nerding out on queer history and a commitment to carrying out the legacy of this story by not complying with BS in advance from a place of fear. He'd like to thank his community of sex workers and trans people, whose magic and generosity so often go unrecognized.

Jord Liu (she/her) is thrilled to be understudying for The Compton's Cafeteria Riot and connecting with the trans mammas and activists who paved the way. Jord is a theatre maker, writer, musician, and during the week can also be spotted in the machine shop at the Exploratorium, building hands-on science exhibits. She would like to thank her amazing friends, chosen and given family, and her siblings in solidarity. See you at Compton's!

Vida Manzo is a dancer, actress, and poet who is making her return to the stage after a long hiatus. She's currently striving to pursue higher education in dance to become a teacher, with the goal of owning her own studio for low-income community members seeking quality training. You can follow her on Instagram @vida.manzo.

Born in Queens to Egyptian and German immigrants, Steve Menache is a multi-talented artist with a BS in Percussion from Brooklyn College and a theatre minor. He trained at Manhattan School of Music, Third Street Music Settlement, and American Conservatory Theatre. Steve has toured globally three times, narrated over 275 audiobooks, voiced numerous major brand campaigns, and appeared in national commercials. He continues performing as an actor and musician/composer, with more than 20 albums recorded on The San Francisco Free Jazz Collective label. A former martial arts instructor in Hapkido and Jujitsu, Steve still teaches when possible.

Mudd the Two Spirit (they/he/she) is a BIPOC deaf/hard-of-hearing two-spirit drag and performance artist residing on occupied Ohlone Lands.

Mudd is a full-time performer, crew member, and Haus member for the iconic drag shows Tito Soto’s: Princess, Clutch the Pearls, and Reparations: An All Black Drag Show. Mudd has an array of performance experience ranging from Netflix is a Joke Fest, to Pattie Gonia’s SAVE HER!, to opening acts for artists like Caleb Hearon and Chappell Roan.

Mudd’s previous roles include ‘Count Dragcula’ from the Poltergeist Theater Projects production of Dragcula, ‘Niles’ from Oasis Arts’ production of The Nanny, and ‘The Emcee’ from Cabaret in Detour’s production of Pompeii.

Mudd is so honored to be understudying as both ‘Frankie’ and ‘Dixie’ in The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot with the Tenderloin Museum, and will later re-VAMP ‘Dracula’ at Z Space this fall.

Al Niotta (they/them) is so proud and full of radical queer joy being a part of this cast and our bi/weekly Riot. Equipped with a Bachelor of Arts and the debt to prove it, Al spends their days teaching theater and nights performing (when not cuddling their dog). Having also worked in film, print, and voice over, some of their previous stage credits include: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged], The Other Plane, Spring Awakening, Queerstory, and Love U. 

They’d like to thank their loved ones and the original Compton’s Queens for helping them see today.

Emma is an actor and drag queen who has been performing for many years. They were elected the 51st Empress of San Francisco in 2016, performing nationally in many fundraising capacities. Roles that Emma has played include Mary Sunshine in the musical Chicago, Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Ito in Auntie Mame, and Rev. Hale in The Crucible. More recently for Boxcar Theatre, Hedwig 3 in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Eugene in Speakeasy. Emma is also a junior Cockette for appearing in Pearls Over Shanghai for The Thrillpeddlers. Emma is honored to join this wonderful show and cast to bring this amazing work to life.

Barbara (she/her) is honored to be reprising the role of Shirley in The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot. She is a multi-hyphenate artist based in the Bay Area, most recently on stage in Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra at The Great Dickens Christmas Fair. Barbara is a current cast member of Le Cancan Bijou and The Decobelles, as well as the a cappella group La Bella Donna Historical Performers. 

Favorite credits include The Speakeasy (Ruth), Blithe Spirit (Edith), On the Town (Lucy Schmeeler), and The Sound of Music (Maria), which earned her the Solano ARTY award for Best Actress in a Musical. Thanks, Mom, for everything — especially for sharing your stories of 1960’s San Francisco!

Noni Ramirez, also known as Tsunomi Punoni (in drag), is a trans activist, artist, actress, and performer in the Bay Area. She grew up a theater kid and has been doing drag for five years. She also helped organize and work for Trans March, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and Transgender Day of Visibility. As a trans person of color, she is inspired by her trans elders and “trancestors” who have come before her, and continues doing the same work they have done by fighting for trans rights and liberation as well as helping her community. Being part of The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot holds deep significance for her, as it honors one of the earliest acts of trans resilience and allows her to help bring this crucial moment in trans history to life.

Jess is thrilled to be understudying for ‘Frankie’ and ‘Adrian’ in The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot. He is a Bay Area native and has studied acting at Diablo Valley College, Stella Adler Art of Acting, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and California State University Fullerton, where he graduated with his theatre degree in 2019.

He came back up north and has been performing at different theaters around the Bay since 2023. Jess feels very honored to be a part of a production that tells a story that is so integral to the Queer and Trans history of San Francisco. 

Maurice André San-Chez (they/them) holds a BFA in Music Theatre from University of Texas at El Paso and teaches choir at Westlake Middle School in Oakland. They’ve performed with many Bay Area theater companies and use arts integration as a tool for social change.

In 2022, they led a 20-day hunger strike to protest racist school closures and were named 2023 Educator of the Year for Assembly District 18. They are deeply committed to equity in education and the arts.

Nell Schwartz is excited to return as the understudy for ‘Shirley’ in The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot. Her Bay Area stage credits include the formidable Sister Aloysius in John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt, April in Savage in Limbo (which she also produced), Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Lyubov Ranevskaya in Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, and Mary Jane in Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Jesus Hopped the “A” Train. She also played Thetis in Thunderbird Theatre Company’s Release the Kraken. A native San Franciscan raised in the East Bay, Nell is a producer at Fridays Films, where she continues her work in storytelling. 

This is Eric’s first production with the Tenderloin Museum and is very excited to be performing in the role of Rusty. Eric graduated from San Jose State University (SJSU) in spring of 2024 with his Bachelor’s in Theatre Arts and will be graduating from SJSU this spring with his Master's and teaching credential for English and Theatre Arts. He recently directed Anti-Club Theatre Club's (ACT Club) Production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical this last winter. Some of his previous credits are SJSU’s productions of Our Town (Simon Stimson), Cabaret (Schultz and Max Understudy), and The Thanksgiving Play (Caden), and Anti-Club Theatre Club’s production of Be More Chill (Jake).

Rainey Ayer Storey is an actor-turned-drag-queen returning to the theater world for the first time in over a decade. In her 12-year career as drag persona Mary Vice, she has become a staple of San Francisco’s nightlife scene. She is the current reigning winner of both the High Princx and Rollin with the Homos pageants, and has won a handful of other local titles, including Miss Gay San Francisco. She emcees two weekly shows: Pillows, every Monday at Powerhouse, and the city’s longest running drag show, The Hot Boxxx Girls, every Friday at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge in the Tenderloin.

Shane Zaldivar moved from Florida to San Francisco in 2014 to live authentically. Known as the Pop-Up Drag Queen, Shane performs spontaneous shows at San Francisco’s Ferry Building, celebrating the city’s diversity. She originated a role in the 2018 production of The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot and now manages training at the San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives. Since 2020, she’s educated thousands on trans issues and spoken nationally, blending art, activism, and education to foster inclusion.