Entrance to the Darcelle XV Showplace
Photo: Adam Jones/Wikipedia
is
Darcel XV Showplace, a hugely popular drag venue in Portland, Oregon, is asking for the community’s help as it faces the threat of closing down.
“An important message to all of you who have supported us faithfully for 57 years: the time has come to make a difficult decision about the future of Darcel XV Showplace,” the venue announced on Facebook. “Our friend Darcel and her legacy have been there for the community for almost 60 years, and now it’s time for us to give back and ask for your help. We need your help to keep our doors open!”
Related:
Stay connected to your community
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about issues and events affecting your local and community.
The club’s potential closure is due in part to the death of former owner Walter Cole, who died last March at age 92. He performed as Darcel, the bar’s namesake.
Cole’s family still owns the venue, but attendance has dwindled since his death. “The problem is, it’s pretty predictable,” says Kevin Cook, a local performer who performs under the name Poison Waters. “The show is great, the club is great, but people want to see Darcel. He’s the star of the place.”
The post told people the best way to support the club was to “attend our shows, plan celebrations with us and help spread the word that our club is approaching this unfortunate moment that so many other small businesses have experienced recently.”
Cook also said: KOIN 6 News The neighborhood where Darcel XV Showplace is located is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Between Darcel’s passing and COVID, people are still hesitant to come to Old Town, so we’re working with our neighbors and doing our best to make sure Old Town thrives. We started doing brunch shows, which are our biggest selling point. This reflects people’s preference to come to Old Town during the day,” Cook said.
Darcel XV Showplace is a drag queen monument: during her lifetime, Cole was recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2016 as the longest-running entertaining career at the time of her death, spanning 56 years. Darcel XV Showplace’s Facebook page states that the club is the longest continuously operating drag queen cabaret in the country.
A recent Facebook post from the club thanked patrons and the Portland community: “We’re so grateful for all the love and support we’ve received this week as we face an uncertain future. We look forward to entertaining you all weekend, starting with tonight’s show at 8pm. See you soon!!!”
Cook said the club was not under immediate threat of closure, but “while it’s not as dire as it will be tomorrow, who knows what the next few months and the rest of the year will hold.”
“We just wanted to let people know what’s coming up. A lot of small businesses are closing down and we wanted to give people the opportunity to help us out now,” Cook said.
