Performing & Visual Arts
“As much as it can feel like a big operation sometimes, I feel like we're a bunch of kids putting on a show for our friends,” says Oasis SF general manager, COO, and performer Snaxx.
The sprawling drag and queer nightclub cabaret venue – converted from a gay bathhouse and owned by the renowned producer and drag performer D’Arcy Drollinger – has gained legendary status among the San Francisco LGBTQIA+ community since flinging open its doors on NYE 2014.
As well as regularly welcoming touring queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Oasis hosts a fabulous mix of events – from drag shows and cabaret acts, to live music, club nights and parties. They’ve even produced stages at Outside Lands festival and SF Pride.
Drag parody shows – which send up Star Trek, Sex & The City, and Fresh Prince – are Oasis’ “bread and butter”, along with Saturday drag night, Princess. But Snaxx underlines the importance of investing in the success of regular events in order to experiment with new concepts.
“We know that that's what people know us for and come see us do – they mean a lot to our community,” she says. “But by having those guaranteed hits, it lets us have some space to try new things or weird themes.”
As expansive as Oasis’ scope is, the team has never lost sight of the venue’s need to remain a “safe and inclusive” haven for the queer community.
“Lots of people come here routinely by themselves because they know they're going to run into someone they know or make friends,” says Snaxx. “Yes, it's about fun, razzle-dazzle, and the glitter, but it's also really, deeply rooted in us being a family.”
