Meet America’s oldest and longest-performing drag queen

Ageless” profiles seniors who are pursuing their passions well into their golden years, from drag queen performances to competitive sports. 

Darcelle XV may be 88 years old, but that won’t stop him from taking the stage.

He’s been entertaining people for the past 50 years as America’s oldest and longest-performing drag queen.

Credit: In The Know

With every show, his groundbreaking work inspires others to take the stage.

“I’m very proud of the fact that we were there in the beginning,” Darcelle told In The Know. “[We] put our first show on in 1970 and there was nothing like this, nothing.”

Five decades later, the Darcelle XV Showplace has grown to become one of Oregon’s biggest stages for drag queens — and other performers.

For Darcelle, a quality performance is everything. That starts with an intricate transformation in a makeup chair and ends when you leave it all on stage.

“You can’t look like the next-door neighbor,” he told In The Know. “You have to bring them in here where they can forget their problems and get in a fantasy land and have a light time.” 

He said the word “retire” is “not in [his] vocabulary.” 

“I’m going to do a kick and there’ll be a pile of ashes on stage,” he joked.

If you enjoyed this story, watch this man transform into a sparkly, pop diva-inspired drag queen.

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