Anthony Cardoza and Jaylyn Abergas Photo by Zach Matheson

Now the riot is being re-staged in an immersive theatre experience: Compton's Cafeteria Riot, produced by Mark Nassar, co-written by him, Collette LeGrande and Donna Personna, which takes place in a space transformed into a working diner, complete with tables, counters, stove, jukebox, and cigarette machine. True to the time period, there are even ashtrays set at each place. To enhance the feeling of being in a '60s-era diner, each audience member is served a plate with blueberry pancakes and link sausage, and is offered a cup of coffee.

Soon enough, the front door opens and in come a pair of trans women, loudly discussing the challenges they'd faced earlier that night: harassed by cops, searching for hook-ups, worn out from the challenges of living their lives openly in a society that reviles them. After this opening scene, the cast–including cook Gus (Steven Menasche) and his waitress Shirley (Barbara Pond), as well as half a dozen or so other Compton's customers–freeze and Vicki Starlight (Emma Peel) is hit with a spotlight and begins to lip-synch "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" before retreating to a stool to serve as a sort of host/emcee/docent for the evening. Vicki, you see, was a star of the '60s trans scene in San Francisco and was at Compton's on the night of the riot, and she talks about how "our response that night was primal" and provides context and historical background to the goings-on.

The evening will continue this way, with Vicki commenting on the action, interspersed with scenes of the trans women throwing shade at each other and pleading for the right to simply exist. As Suki (Jaylyn Abergas), a tall street worker trailing her latest pickup, a young sailor named Frankie (Jonah Hezekiah Bessellieu) says near the end of the show, "Can anyone even be themselves?!"

The police, of course, make their presence known over the course of the evening, with Officer Johnson (Anthony "Tony" Cardoza) strutting through the place, threatening the trans community members with arrest and worse. Cardoza is one of the best performers in the show, providing a true sense of menace to the proceedings. He leaves, but you know he's coming back, and he's not going to be any more tolerant.

As the action ramps up, the queens begin to fight amongst themselves, with young Vicki Starlight (Mia Giesecke) showing the glamorous viciousness that older Vicki has alluded to. But that viciousness clearly comes from pain, for as older Vicki says, clearly referring to her younger self, "The angriest person in the room is always the saddest." Young representatives of what was a nascent LGBTQ+ rights organization, Vanguard, which was the first known gay youth group in the U.S., try to get the queens and other Compton's customers to sign a petition of support–something the trans women feel is likely a futile effort.

The performances vary in quality. Menasche is believable as an overworked diner owner, and Giesecke can pass as cisgender, reinforcing why she was a luminary on the scene. Some of the other performers overplay their roles, but the point here is not really the quality of the acting, but the immersion for the audience into that hot August night when the trans community exploded in rage.

That's where Compton's Cafeteria Riot succeeds: in giving theatre patrons the opportunity to experience some of the fire felt within the souls of trans women who were simply tired of taking abuse from the police and other authority figures and had just damn well had enough of it. As the action unfolds around you, there is a tremendous sense of verisimilitude to it all. Perhaps the acting isn't always stellar, but even when emotions aren't perfectly embodied by the performers, the sense of anger, defeat, and rebellion still come roaring through.

A note for potential patrons: the neighborhood in which Compton's Cafeteria Riot takes place is one of the city's sketchiest. There is a parking garage a three-minute walk from the venue, but a better option might be a ride share that can drop you off at the door.

Compton's Cafeteria Riot runs through June 27, 2026, at 835 Larkin Street, San Francisco. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00pm. Tickets are $75. For tickets and information, please visit www.comptonscafeteriariot.com.