The Cockettes

2002, Candy Darling, English, Holly Woodlawn, Jackie Curtis, USA,

Directors: Bill Weber and David Weissman
Release Year: 2002

Synopsis:

The 2002 documentary The Cockettes, directed by Bill Weber and David Weissman, offers a captivating, nostalgic, and poignant look at one of the most important avant-garde performance groups in the history of San Francisco’s countercultural scene. With their flamboyant costumes, gender-bending antics, and anarchic performances, The Cockettes were not just a drag troupe—they were a living, breathing embodiment of 1960s and 1970s sexual liberation, psychedelic experimentation, and artistic rebellion. Through interviews with surviving members, archival footage, and reflections on the group's rise and fall, The Cockettes documentary paints a vivid picture of their wild performances, the cultural climate they emerged from, and the lasting impact of their work on both the queer community and mainstream pop culture.

 

In the fall of 1969, a group of young artists living in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district formed the nucleus of what would become The Cockettes. Led by Hibiscus (born George Edgerly Harris III), a flamboyant artist, and inspired by the freewheeling spirit of the hippie movement, The Cockettes embodied a radical vision of performance that defied the traditional boundaries of gender, sexuality, and theater. Hibiscus, a lover of drag, and other members of the troupe sought to put their "outlandish" lifestyles on display as a form of artistic expression. They created impromptu, experimental performances that often included surreal, improvised musical numbers, an array of bizarre costumes, and a complete disregard for conventional theatrical structures. Their first major performance, held on New Year's Eve 1969 at San Francisco’s Palace Theater, was an LSD-infused celebration that would mark the beginning of a short but legendary run in the city’s underground scene. The Cockettes performed regularly in a venue known as the Pagoda Palace Theatre as part of the Nocturnal Dream Show, a late-night showcase of underground films and performances. These performances were an eclectic mix of parodies of Broadway musicals, psychedelic visuals, and absurdist humor—a chaotic form of expression that was unmistakably rooted in the counterculture of the time. Shows like Tinsel Tarts in a Hot Coma, Gone with the Showboat to Oklahoma, and Journey to the Center of Uranus typified the group’s offbeat, experimental aesthetic.

 

At their core, The Cockettes were not just performing for entertainment—they were presenting a vision of a liberated world where traditional roles of gender, sexuality, and power were turned upside down. The group’s performances were an expression of joy, rebellion, and freedom that reflected the utopian ideals of the hippie movement, as well as the psychedelic experiences enabled by the widespread use of LSD. The Cockettes' art was anarchic and ecstatic, rejecting the cultural norms that dictated how people should behave, dress, and interact. The costumes were one of the most striking elements of the group's performances. The Cockettes' look was a hodgepodge of glittery drag, Hollywood glamour, vintage Hollywood, surrealism, and camp. Men wore glitter in their beards, eye-catching makeup, and colorful, extravagant outfits made from flea market finds, transforming into larger-than-life personas. The exuberance of their costumes was matched only by the equally bold performances, in which improvisation played a key role. The performers often seemed to exist in a realm of joyful chaos—at times the performances would veer off script, embracing the unpredictability that marked the group’s ethos. Their live shows quickly garnered a cult following among the San Francisco avant-garde community, including local celebrities and artists. As their fame grew, they attracted attention from the mainstream media, with appearances in publications like Rolling Stone, Life, and Esquire. The group was a symbol of both creative freedom and a rejection of societal norms, making them a unique fixture in the countercultural landscape of San Francisco in the early '70s.

 

The Cockettes were, in many ways, a product of the radical politics of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Hibiscus, the group’s leader and chief visionary, was deeply political and driven by a belief in anarchism and sexual liberation. His commitment to these ideals manifested in the group’s early approach to performance art—where money, fame, and structure were not prioritized. Early performances were free, in keeping with the ethos of the Haight-Ashbury community, where the Cockettes had first come together. However, as the group grew in popularity, tensions began to emerge over their future direction. In 1971, a number of members began to question Hibiscus’s more chaotic, anti-establishment approach and pushed for a more structured, professional style of performance. This division came to a head when Hibiscus left the group in the same year to form a new performance troupe, the Angels of Light, which shared the Cockettes' ethos but with more polished, scripted productions. While Hibiscus’s departure marked a philosophical split within the group, it also signaled the beginning of The Cockettes' descent into disarray. In the documentary, former members recall how the carefree, improvisational spirit of their earlier performances began to dissipate as new members took the group in a more professionalized direction. Some performers, including Sylvester—who would go on to become one of the most iconic disco divas of the era—started to see The Cockettes as an opportunity to build a career, leading to further tensions.

 

One of the most memorable moments in the Cockettes' short-lived history was their ill-fated trip to New York in late 1971. Hoping to take the city by storm, The Cockettes performed at the Anderson Theater in New York's East Village. Unfortunately, the trip marked the group’s clash with New York’s more polished theater scene. The New Yorkers, expecting a well-rehearsed, tightly produced show, were confounded by the Cockettes' laid-back, improvisational style. Their opening night was a disaster, with many audience members—including the likes of Andy Warhol and Angela Lansbury—walking out in disbelief. The New York experience highlighted the cultural differences between the exuberant, freewheeling West Coast counterculture and the more reserved, critical East Coast sensibility. Despite rave reviews from some critics, The Cockettes’ performance in New York was seen as a failure, and the group returned to San Francisco after a short, tumultuous stint. Yet, this failure did not diminish their place in the annals of queer history. Their time in New York, though brief, brought them attention from the mainstream press, and their influence continued to ripple through underground theater and queer culture in the years that followed.

 

The Cockettes officially disbanded in 1972, but their legacy lived on in various forms. Many of the group's performers went on to create their own projects or joined other performance groups. Sylvester became a pop star, famous for his groundbreaking work as a black, openly gay disco artist. Other Cockettes, like Tomata du Plenty, went on to form influential punk bands, while others continued to perform in underground theaters and clubs. The visual style, queer aesthetics, and boundary-pushing spirit of The Cockettes left a lasting imprint on the drag and queer performance scenes. In 2002, The Cockettes documentary by Bill Weber and David Weissman captured the group's rebellious, free-spirited energy and introduced a new generation to their revolutionary art. The film not only explores their outrageous performances but also gives voice to the members' reflections on how they navigated the turbulent waters of drug culture, AIDS, and personal loss.

 

Through the lens of these personal stories, the documentary reminds us of the ways in which the Cockettes were both an embodiment of their time and a precursor to future generations of queer performance artists. As queer culture continues to evolve, The Cockettes remain an iconic part of its history. Their message of radical self-expression, the refusal to conform to societal expectations, and the joyous defiance of gender and sexual norms continues to inspire. Their performances were more than just theater—they were a radical, joyous rejection of the status quo, a declaration of the possibility for a different kind of world. In 2022, the 50th anniversary of The Cockettes’ formation was commemorated with an exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, further cementing their place in the cultural history of the city and the queer community. The Cockettes, in their short, chaotic, and revolutionary run, changed the way we think about performance art, gender, and sexual identity, and their impact continues to echo through the world of contemporary drag and queer performance.

via: imdb.com
wikipedia

youtube

Image credits: YouTube