Voices of Cabaret Risque
Artist & Company Testimonials — Eclipse Theatre and Lounge
In their own words: the performers, writers, and collaborators building queer theatre in Southern Oregon through Cabaret Risqué at Eclipse Theatre and Lounge.
“The Eclipse has taken up the mantle to provide a stage and voice for those who still, in 2026, experience hatred and prejudice within their own community.”
As a theatre professional but relative newcomer to the world of drag, I am incredibly grateful for the community and support that Cabaret Risqué and the Eclipse Theatre provide its artists. My introduction to this company last year was as a cast member of The Best Little Rocky Whore House in Texas. This production gave a creative space for an array of queer performers to collaborate on a project that is altogether unheard of in our small, Southern Oregon community. As an introduction to the drag scene, I was both surprised and overjoyed by the welcoming and uplifting culture engendered by the whole company — an oftentimes rare experience in theatrical spaces.
Cabaret Risqué has not only found an eager audience through its plays and cabarets, but has inspired the rapid growth of queer theatre in the region — a region that has historically had limited opportunities for affirming and safe spaces for the queer and BIPOC communities. The importance of having the Eclipse Theatre as a performing and gathering space cannot be overstated. With limited queer spaces in Southern Oregon, the Eclipse has taken up the mantle to provide a stage and voice for those who still, in 2026, experience hatred and prejudice within their own community.
Eclipse Theatre has the potential to break new ground as a company that actually provides what many community theatres I have worked with fail to do: serve. Serve its audience, performers, and community through projects that are meaningful, joyous, educational, and inclusive — not to pad the egos of its board or the vanity of one person, but to create a network of local artists and educators that will enrich our community.
I cannot stress how integral this organization has been, not only to my growth and development in this art, but in my own personal journey with my queer identity. I find myself very fortunate to have found this company, and I look forward to helping build its community of collaboration and acceptance.
— Glitzwilliam Darcy, Cast Member, The Best Little Rocky Whore House in Texas (aka Melanie Marie)
He/Him/His — any/all pronouns welcome
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“These productions bring together queer artists. We encourage each other creatively, create our own opportunities, and build personal relationships that are necessary for us in today’s times.”
The Wizard of Ahhsss was our first drag theatre production, and it had such an overwhelmingly positive response. Taking a well-known classic and putting a drag spin on it allows queer audience members to see characters in a new light — and possibly relate to or empathize with them more. This new challenge of creating a drag theatre production was only possible because of the passion and time the whole cast put into helping each other through costuming, rehearsals, and emotional support.
The Best Little Rocky Whore House in Texas was a wonderful opportunity for me to grow my writing skills and reach more people with my art. The productions through Cabaret Risqué and the Eclipse have given me the opportunity to perform characters I wouldn’t necessarily be considered for outside of drag. We love to make people laugh, but most importantly, these productions bring together queer artists. We encourage each other creatively, create our own opportunities, and build personal relationships that are necessary for us in today’s times.
— Demi Gag, Cast & Writer, The Wizard of Ahhsss and The Best Little Rocky Whore House in Texas
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“The show provided me with a community of artists of diverse representation and an opportunity to stand and deliver a bold and empowered performance.”
— Zach Virden, Performer, The Wizard of Ahhsss
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“Growing with the Eclipse Theatre will be so beneficial to foster a growing space to hone all these talents.”
Working with Cabaret Risqué has helped me to grow as an artist and become more connected with local performers. We have reached a community that is excited to see what we are capable of offering in terms of queer art and entertainment in Southern Oregon. Growing with the Eclipse Theatre will be so beneficial to foster a growing space to hone all these talents.
— Polly Pocket Risque, Cast Member of BLRHHIT & The Wizard of Ahhsss
“Working with the Cabaret has given me opportunities to grow as a DJ and an artist that I never expected. Being a self taught DJ with no proper sound technician experience, I learned a lot about show production, how to best work with others in the entertainment business, and how to keep a show going when problems arise. I’m grateful for the Cabaret for allowing me space to grow as a creative.”
— Zoe Campbell, a.k.a. FruitGirl, DJ
From our Audience, Guests, and Friends
Testimonials from our closest friends, proudest guests, and most dedicated patrons
“My name is Stephanie Cao and I am a queer 27 year old woman who moved to Southern Oregon less than a year ago. I moved here for a job without any family or friends in the area, leading to feelings of isolation and a lack of belonging in a community. It was difficult to cultivate friendships and connections in the wild, even in mainstream social events and spaces. One of the first spaces that allowed me to do so was Eclipse Theatre and Lounge. Their mission to bring an inclusive space for queer persons to enjoy entertainment of many varieties fills a much needed gap in this rural area, of which I owe my current friendships to. Eclipse allows me to have a safe third space away from my home or work with accepting and like-minded individuals.”
— Stephanie Cao, Diva and Patron
“Eclipse Theatre & Lounge has become so much more than a place to see a show or spend an evening. It has become a place where people can feel safe, welcomed, accepted, and completely themselves. That kind of space is both meaningful and rare, especially for members of the LGBTQ+ community here in the Rogue Valley. For me, Eclipse has given me something I did not realize I had been searching for: a place where I finally belong. I can walk through those doors, let my guard down, be myself, and know that I am surrounded by people who accept me for who I am. Through Eclipse, I have made genuine friendships, found community, and experienced a sense of belonging that is incredibly difficult to put into words.
I know I am not alone in that feeling. For many people in the LGBTQ+ community, having a space where we can feel safe, seen, and accepted is incredibly important. In the Rogue Valley, spaces like Eclipse are meaningful and rare. They give us somewhere to connect, celebrate, create, and simply exist without feeling like we have to explain or change who we are. What makes Eclipse even more special is the way it brings people together through creativity and the arts. It has given me opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone, explore my creative side, try new things, and connect with people I may never have met otherwise. It shows us that art can do more than entertain us. It can create connection, confidence, friendship, and belonging.
This is not about politics or division. It is about people. It is about having a place where everyone can walk through the doors and feel that they have a place at the table. For the LGBTQ+ community, that feeling can be life changing.
Supporting Eclipse means investing in a space that gives people more than entertainment. It means supporting local artists and performers, creating opportunities for people to explore the arts, and nurturing the friendships and connections that make our community stronger. Most importantly, it means protecting a place where people can feel safe enough to be vulnerable, brave enough to be themselves, and confident enough to discover where they belong. Eclipse has given me something I will always be grateful for: the feeling that I finally belong. I hope others who are searching for that same feeling can continue to find it through Eclipse for years to come.
Please help keep this space here, not just for what it is today, but for everyone who has yet to walk through its doors and discover that they have a place here too.”
Alexandria Kegel, patron