Latest news with #Drollinger
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
If San Francisco's drag laureate can't make a drag club work in the city, who can?
If Oasis and its proprietor D'Arcy Drollinger are drag mothers to San Francisco's LGBTQ nightlife, the children are in mourning. 'D'Arcy has helped put Bay Area drag on the map and supported countless artists in the process,' said Oaklash drag festival and nonprofit co-founder Mama Celeste, who performed early in her career at Oasis' Daughter night. Now, with the nightclub and cabaret's closure at the end of the year, that map is losing its lodestar. It's 'a huge loss for the queer and trans community,' Mama Celeste said. The news, announced Monday, July 21, underscores a stark reality in this post-pandemic era: even the most beloved and high-profile landmarks of queer nightlife are not immune to the pressures threatening the city's cultural fabric. Drollinger, as San Francisco's Drag Laureate and the creative force behind community traditions like 'The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes,' brought star power, ingenuity and an unwavering following to the club. For performers and audiences alike it's not just a loss — it's a warning. 'If a great room with great live entertainment, and a strong, supportive, deeply connected community can find itself forced to shut down, we're all in danger,' said Jim Sweeney, founder and host of the Hubba Hubba Revue at the neighboring DNA Lounge. Drollinger founded the award-winning nightclub and performance venue with fellow drag entertainer Heklina and business partners Jason Beebout and Geoffrey Benjamin in 2014 at a time when 'we were desperately in need of something like Oasis,' said drag performer Peaches Christ. 'There really isn't anything like it,' she went on. The loss is especially painful, she added, because it also marks the end of a venue co-founded by her close friend Heklina, who died in London in 2023. (Peaches Christ is hosting a benefit for Heklina's archives at the club on Monday night.) Michael Phillis, whose 'Baloney' burlesque review (with Rory Davis) and 'Patty from HR' character both found cult followings at the club, said that he and many performers 'cut our teeth here, honed our craft here, made a name for ourselves here, celebrated wins and losses and the everyday struggle of being gay, being fabulous, being alive.' 'Running a business is so demanding and requires constant effort and attention, and then throw a wig on top of it — D'Arcy used the club to unify our community with open arms,' said drag queen and community activist Juanita More. Throughout its decade in operation, Oasis built a reputation for attracting queer celebrity clientele and in the last few years has become a destination for 'RuPaul's Drag Race' stars. It's also been known for creating programming with an emphasis on racial, ethnic and diversity such as 'Reparations,' which focuses on Black performers. Breonna McCree, the co-executive director of the Transgender Cultural District, called it 'a vibrant cultural hub for queer and trans artistry.' Drollinger, who became sole owner in 2020, guided Oasis through the COVID-19 pandemic by launching Oasis TV, which streams past performances at the venue, and 'Meals on Heels,' a food delivery service featuring drag performances that drew national attention. 'I know D'Arcy and the entire team at Oasis worked so hard to hang on through the pandemic,' acknowledged District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. 'I obviously root for the success of all our LGBTQ+ community institutions, but we were especially rooting for Oasis in the District 6 office.' Dorsey said he's already contacted Anne Taupier, director of San Francisco's Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and plans to convene a meeting with all Oasis employees to ensure they're plugged into job placement and workforce services. Drollinger said the decision was painful but unavoidable. After two years of shrinking audiences and declining bar sales, the financial pressure became too great. Costs have continued to climb, especially for insurance and security following an armed robbery at the club in July 2024. He's holding on to the hope that a surge in support could carry Oasis to one last celebration on New Year's Eve, which would mark the venue's 11th anniversary. But even if Drollinger reaches that goal, the permanent closure of Oasis has broader implications. As Devlin Shand, founder of the community gallery Queer Arts Featured, noted on social media, it's 'a loss that will have reverberating consequences for our performance art scene.' Without the club, the South of Market's 11th Street corridor becomes 'less of a broader destination,' Sweeney said. The area has already suffered the loss of Slim's, its successor YOLO, Paradise Lounge and Studio Z. 'One of the best things about nightlife is that the more bars and venues in a neighborhood, the better we all do,' said the Stud Collective, the group behind neighboring South of Market queer bar the Stud, in a statement. Their own history is a testament to that resilience; after four years without a physical home, the Stud reopened in 2024 on Folsom Street. 'If there is one thing the Stud has learned in our 70 years is, it's not over till it's over,' the collective added. The Stud's revival serves as a reminder that queer spaces can bounce back— but only with sustained community support. 'We can't just talk about how much the arts matter, we have to be there. In the seats. At the shows,' said Shane Ray, founding artistic director of Ray of Light Theatre, which produces 'The Rocky Horror Show' at Oasis each fall. 'Showing up now, not just when something's at risk of disappearing.' To that end, drag performer and Stud Collective member Honey Mahogany issued a call to action: 'Oasis isn't closed yet! I hope to see many of you there over the next few months.'
Axios
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
San Francisco drag landmark Oasis to close by year end
Oasis, San Francisco's beloved drag nightclub, will permanently close at the end of the year after more than a decade of serving as a cultural hub for queer nightlife. Why it matters: The closure marks the end of an era for one of the city's most celebrated LGBTQ+ venues — a space that launched careers, created a devoted community and spotlighted drag and queer performers. Driving the news: The closure, announced Monday, comes as the club has struggled with attendance post-pandemic, as well as rising costs and declining bar sales. Owner D'Arcy Drollinger had to tap into his retirement savings to keep the business afloat, he told Axios. "There is a strong community; it's just not enough. It breaks my heart," he said. Zoom in: Oasis has anchored a number of over-the-top parties and community events, and it produced campy originals in a genre Drollinger brands "Vaudeville 2.0," with titles such as " Sh*t & Champagne," " Reparations" and most recently " Jurassiq Parq." Since opening in 2014, numerous high-profile drag artists, including Snaxx and Nicki Jizz, and celebrity guests including Cher, Anderson Cooper and Jane Fonda have made appearances. What they're saying: Peaches Christ, an internationally renowned drag queen, told Axios she's "absolutely gutted." "(D'Arcy's) team built something truly vital to San Francisco's queer culture — uplifting talent, entertaining endlessly and giving both artists and patrons a home. It's hard to imagine the city without it," she said. Zoom out: While the brick-and-mortar at 298 11th St. may be closing, Oasis Arts — the nonprofit arm of the club — will continue to carry on the legacy with shows at other Bay Area venues next year, per Drollinger, who is also the city's first Drag Laureate. Claire's thought bubble: Losing Oasis — which has been such a huge part of my life — feels like losing a piece of San Francisco's heart. Since first going in 2021, I've laughed and cried in those four walls, staged two shows and met lifelong friends.
Eater
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
San Francisco's Legendary Drag Club Oasis Set to Close This Year
Oasis, known for its drag shows and cabaret acts for over a decade, will close its doors for good on January 1, 2026. Owner D'arcy Drollinger shared the news via social media and the club's blog, writing that they made 'the impossibly difficult decision to close our physical space and transform again.' 'Speaking frankly,' Drollinger writes, 'the rising cost of operations, paired with declining attendance and sales, have put us in a financial loss for quite some time and made sustaining Oasis, in its current form, untenable.' Drollinger elaborated on the press release in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, telling the paper that their margins are razor thin and that they've been struggling, just like other venues. 'I've had to subsidize the club every month to be able to make it through,' Drollinger says. 'Those resources are gone, I've cashed in the majority of my retirement account to keep this going.' There is a chance the popular club won't even make it to the January closure date, Drollinger says; the Chronicle writes that 'realistically, that would require a surge of ticket buyers and clubgoers.' As such, Drollinger is encouraging everyone to visit in the last months, but in one small bit of good news, Oasis Arts — Oasis's nonprofit for LGBTQ and BIPOC artists — will continue on after the closure. Peninsula favorite Sushi Sam's lives on San Mateo-based Sushi Sam's closed in December 2024, shuttering after over 20 years in business. But Palo Alto Online reports that the restaurant lives on, in a way, thanks to chef Sam Sugiyama's family. Sugiyama's nephew, Koichi Ito, is the new chef at the rebranded business — now named Sushi Edomata — while Sugiyama's niece, Toko Ito, heads the dessert business, and her husband, Ching, handles the business side. The business has relocated to its new home at 38 East 25th Avenue in San Mateo and is now open. Osito chef takes over former Wesburger spot Chef Seth Stowaway closed down his Michelin-starred restaurant Osito in May 2025, but it looks like he's ready for his next act. The San Francisco Standard reports that Stowaway will take over the WesBurger 'N' More space in the Mission, following the burger spot's closure earlier this month. The Standard writes that Stowaway plans to open a 'casual, family-friendly restaurant' that pays tribute to the chef's roots in Texas, and is tentatively called Chicken Fried Palace. The Monterey Abalone Festival debuts Abalone diehards now have a space to gather, thanks to the first-ever Monterey Abalone Festival, the Mercury News reports. Running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 26 and 27 at the Japanese American Citizens League Hall at 424 Adams Street in Monterey, the event features talks from commercial abalone farmers and fishermen, film screenings, abalone races, an 'abalone-centric' walking tour, and an abalone dance by the Monterey Rumsen Ohlone Community on Del Monte Beach. Unfortunately, there won't be any abalone dishes for sale at the event, but more information about the event programming can be found on the website. Eater SF All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
San Francisco Chronicle
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. drag club turns to nonprofit model to keep queer creativity thriving
San Francisco drag club Oasis is banking on a new partnership to guarantee its future survival. Owner D'Arcy Drollinger told the Chronicle that all of the stage shows, club nights and off-site performances presented by the South of Market nightclub will now be under the umbrella of Oasis Arts, his nonprofit organization launched in 2022. In doing so, Drollinger, who is also executive director of Oasis Arts, can seek funding through grants and accept donations, which are tax deductible, to support its theater, cabaret and nightlife events. Oasis Arts plans to hire a development director to create a strategy to reach individual donors at a time when arts organizations across the country are losing federal grant support. 'We spend a lot of money and resources on our productions. That coupled with rising prices of everything over the last few years with a slight decline in people going out has put us in a situation where we're realizing this is not sustainable in this model,' said Drollinger, who also serves as the first San Francisco Drag Laureate. The nonprofit's annual budget was $500,000 in 2024, but he expects it to increase to $2 million by the end of this year now that Oasis Arts is taking over the club's programming. 'Oasis is still going to be Oasis. The space will still be the same, the bar will still run the same, but Oasis Arts is going to be the entity that is programming the space,' said Drollinger. Drollinger reports Oasis presented 352 events in 2024 that ranged from performances in the club to curating stages at San Francisco Pride and the Outside Lands music festival's Dolores' pop-up queer dance club in Golden Gate Park. Oasis sold 48,000 tickets last year and currently makes half its annual budget through ticket sales. The largest expense is paying artists, which totaled nearly $800,000 for the year, so rather than pay performers and stage crew less or raise ticket prices, Drollinger said he would 'rather evolve than give up.' 'Making Oasis sustainable is the first priority, and then we want to raise enough money to invest more into the artists in the community,' he added. As part of this new strategy, Drollinger plans to host a telethon on June 1, for Oasis Arts. The upcoming event hopes to see the same success as Oasis' first telethon in March 2021, when it was able to raise $270,000 to save the club from closure. 'Raising $200,000 would be great, but what we could really use is $400,000,' said Drollinger. Oasis opened on New Years Eve 2014 under the ownership of Drollinger, fellow drag performer Heklina, along with Jason Beebout and Geoffrey Benjamin. The venue quickly became a destination for cabaret and drag stage shows, including original plays by Drollinger like his 'Champagne White' trilogy as well as recreations of classic television shows like 'Three's Company,' 'Sex and the City' and 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.' By February 2020, Drollinger was the club's sole owner (he has six investors who are not involved in the daily operations of the club), and he helped it weather the COVID-19 pandemic closures by launching enterprises like Oasis TV, which showed old performances at the club on-demand. He later established Oasis Arts to support queer art in the Bay Area. Among the first projects was commissioning local artists Serge Gay Jr., Elliott C. Nathan, J Manuel Carmona, Simón Malvaez and Christopher McCutcheon to paint the mural 'Showtime' in June 2022 for the exterior of the club. In February, Oasis Arts debuted a new mural project in the club's all-gender bathroom by seven local artists and launched its own Instagram account @ Oasis Arts also supported four film projects in 2024 by providing studio space and equipment. It also produced five theatrical events at Oasis and co-produced a sixth play. 'After the past decade of running Oasis, we've built an audience and I'm proud of what we've accomplished,' said Drollinger. 'But even more important to me is this idea that the queer community can make our own spaces that can thrive and exist at a moment when it feels like the rug is constantly getting pulled out from under us.'
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
San Francisco searches for next drag laureate
(KRON) — The San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives announced Monday it is searching for the city's next drag laureate. The drag laureate is a role described as 'celebrating and uplifting the city's vibrant LGBTQ+ community,' according to officials. City officials said applicants should be full-time San Francisco residents and have 'a strong understanding of the city's rich drag history, and have experience in community activism, engagement, or philanthropy.' The individual selected to be drag laureate will get a $105,000 stipend — or $35,000 annually — to support works over a three-year term. The search comes after the tenure of D'Arcy Drollinger, San Francisco's first drag laureate and owner of Oasis nightclub, comes to an end. Officials said Drollinger 'defined the inaugural program through a series of key appearances and a new event in collaboration with Oasis Arts, the Civic Joy Fund, and drag performers Juanita MORE! and Honey Mahogany called SF is a Drag.' Jonas Brothers announce new tour with San Francisco show 'D'Arcy has done an amazing job serving as San Francisco's first drag laureate, and I am thrilled that we are celebrating and honoring queer artistry and voices by opening the application process for our next drag laureate,' Mayor Daniel Lurie said in the announcement. 'It brings me so much joy to know that Mayor Lurie and the [San Francisco Public Library] are committed to continuing this legacy, and I truly hope that the Drag Laureate position becomes an integral part of San Francisco's cultural fabric, much like the Imperial and Ducal Courts and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,' Drollinger said. 'These organizations have become pillars of our community, and I'm thrilled to see the Drag Laureate position become part of that same enduring tapestry.' The call for applications closes on April 13, with the final selection to be announced in May. More information can be found on the Drag Laureate Program website. The Drag Laureate Program is a collaboration between the mayor's office, the San Francisco Public Library, the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and the Office of Transgender Initiatives. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
