When The Clinton Street Cabaret officially started performing at the Clinton Street Theater in 1986, few thought it would last long. The firsts cast members merely wanted to bring this cultural phenomena to Portland.

Rocky Horror Shadow Casts have a finite shelf life and take perseverance from members and support from their theater hosts, and most of all, a willing and engaged audience, to continue performing.

With it’s quirky script and story line, sing along-able music, and most importantly, active Audience Participation in the form of call back lines, The CSC became an underground tradition for Portland’s LGTBQ+ Community.

The CSC and the Audience Community surrounding it provided a safe space for gender and sexuality expression to young people in Portland from the very beginning. Some knew of Rocky Horror through theater, some learned of it in pre-Internet online forums. Some audience members would travel hours to meet friends and partners, often for the first time, just to watch the CSC perform. Many would later join the cast, and are now considered alumni. Over the decades, the torch has been handed over to new performers and new casts, always passionate about having a safe space to hang out on Saturday nights with peers and performing the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

In 2022, it became clear to dedicated Alumni that to best continue our mission, the CSC should become a non-profit.